Once every 400 days ideal conditions exist for Jupiter is more visible from Earth and that date arrives when it is placed in opposition. When the gas giant is in opposition, it is not only visible to the naked eye (without the need for binoculars or a telescope), it is also especially easy to identify.

However, we can enjoy looking for and contemplating Jupiter in the night sky during many other times of the year. We explain everything you need to know to observe Jupiter in the best conditions possible.

Jupiter, the giant and «gaseous» planet

Jupiter is the plargest lane in our solar system and the fifth planet from the Sun, after Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

It measures more than 140,000 km in diameter, about 11 times that of Earthand has more than twice the mass of all the other planets combined (and about 318 times that of Earth). The gravity on Jupiter It is also noticeably larger than on our planet, about 2.5 times more.

Its name was given by the Romans, who baptized it with the name of the king of the gods: Jupiter (Zeus in Greek mythology)although it is also known as the nickname «gas giant.»

This very descriptive nickname alludes to the fact that it is composed mainly of light elements (just like the sun): hydrogen and helium. However, it is still unknown what the interior of the planet is like and scientists believe that it could house a solid core.

Its atmosphere is very dense and presents large bands of white and reddish clouds that create huge stormsas the famous Great Red Spota storm larger than Earth that has persisted for centuries. The temperature and pressure on Jupiter are extreme: the average is -110 °C at a pressure equivalent to sea level on Earth.

Curiosities about Jupiter

Jupiter takes about 11.86 Earth years to orbit the Sun and it is the planet with the fastest rotation period: A day on Jupiter lasts only about 9 hours and 56 minutes..

Perhaps one of the things that attracts the most attention about Jupiter is its large number of moons: has at least 92 known, the largest of which are Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede (the latter is the largest moon in the entire Solar System).

Furthermore, and although it is less visible than that of Saturn, It also has a weak ring system which consists of four parts.

How to identify Jupiter in the sky

The time of Jupiter opposition will be approximately 9:19 p.m. (Spanish peninsular time) on December 7 and that night the planet will shine at a magnitude of -2.8which means it will be one of the brightest objects in the sky.

Jupiter is bright light brown. As the European Space Agency (ESA) explains, «for sky watchers in the northern hemisphere, Jupiter rises in the eastsets in the west and can be seen in the south at the midpoint of its journey across the sky.».

To see him in this phase of opposition, direct your gaze towards the constellation of Taurus. Remember that, unlike the stars, the planets don’t blink.

Although you can see the planet Jupiter with the naked eye, Using a telescope will allow you to see details like the Great Red Spot.

What is the best day to see Jupiter

The giant planet is one of the brightest objects in the night sky and can be easily observed with the naked eye.

The best time to see Jupiter is when it is closest to the Earth, that is, when it is in opposition phase. This occurs every 400 days, about 13 months.

The last time we had Jupiter in opposition was on December 7, 2024, so we will have to wait until January 10, 2026 for this phenomenon to occur again. Jupiter will meet on the opposite side of the Earth with respect to the Sun, 180 degrees from the king star in the sky, and that day (as well as those before and after) will be especially visible from our planet.