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Today, Jupiter, which is in opposition to the Sun, will be at the closest distance from the Earth for the last 59 years, the press service of the Moscow Planetarium reported to TASS.



Jupiter, Earth and the Sun will line up on September 26.

Jupiter will not be far from the closest point of its orbit (perihelion) to the Sun, at a distance of 4.96 AU from the celestial body.

The coincidence of these two events is called the great opposition of Jupiter.

This happens once every 12 years and is remarkable because the distance between Earth and Jupiter also decreases to its minimum (3.95 AU).

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"The distance between Earth and Jupiter on the day of opposition will be the shortest not only in 2022, but also in the last 59 years," the planetarium's press service said.



"In September, the planet's brightness reached almost minus third magnitude (- 2.9 m), making it the third brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus. And now Jupiter can't be missed - the bright luminary shines in the evening and throughout the night above the southeastern horizon," the astronomers also explain.

The moments of Jupiter's opposition are considered the best time to observe the planets involved in this phenomenon, as they are as close as possible to Earth and well illuminated by the Sun.

The next major opposition of Jupiter is expected to occur on October 1, 2034.

Stargazers: Jupiter will make its closest approach to Earth in 59 years!

Weather-permitting, expect excellent views on Sept.

26. A good pair of binoculars should be enough to catch some details;

you'll need a large telescope to see the Great Red Spot.

https://t.co/qD5OiZX6ld pic.twitter.com/AMFYmC9NET

— NASA (@NASA) September 23, 2022