May 8, 2018 3:55 PM EDT
Earth dwellers, turn your attention to the sky Tuesday night. Jupiter will shine its brightest all year, making the giant planet visible to the naked eye. (That is, if clouds don’t get in the way.)
Jupiter will shine brightly Tuesday night since the planet is in opposition to the sun, according to EarthSky.org, a radio program dedicated to science and nature. “Opposition,” in astrological terms, means Earth will sit directly between Jupiter and the Sun, making the planet more visible than usual. Indeed, the planet will shine brighter than the all of the stars in the sky — but, of course, the sun, the moon and Venus, the brightest planet from Earth’s perspective, will shine brighter.
Tonight … We go between the sun and Jupiter https://t.co/gm53HfAbeo
Jupiter rises in the east when the sun sets. Turn around and look for Venus in the west. Venus and Jupiter will be super bright as night falls, balancing the 2 sides of your sky. pic.twitter.com/5u4xghseuu
Jupiter’s opposition is projected to occur at around 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday night, according to EarthSky. Viewers can expect to see it in front of the Libra constellation.
In late April, star gazers got a glimpse of a full moon next to Jupiter. The giant planet will come its closest to Earth in orbit on May 10.
The planet’s opposition happens every 13 months, according to EarthSky, and will occur again on June 10, 2019.
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