What is opposition of Jupiter and when is the next one?

Jupiter at opposition

Planet Jupiter is in opposition — Planet Jupiter at opposition. (Image credit: NASA)

Jupiter reaches opposition when our planet Earth passes between Jupiter and the sun.

Astronomers call this event an “opposition of Jupiter” because Jupiter and the sun are on opposite sides of our sky’s dome. As a result, Jupiter rises in the east around the time of sunset, reaches its highest point (overhead point) in the sky around midnight, and sets in the west around the time of sunrise.

The opposition of Jupiter marks the best time to observe the planet, as it’s visible all night under clear skies. More precisely, it signifies the middle of the best time of the year to observe the planet.

After opposition, planet Jupiter disappears from the morning sky gradually as it rises four minutes earlier each day.

When is the next opposition of Jupiter in 2024?

Jupiter will reach its next opposition on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at 20:00 UTC (or 3 p.m. EST). So the best time to observe Jupiter is from late November through late December in 2024.

The closest approach of Jupiter to Earth

The closest approach of Jupiter to Earth always falls on or near the date of opposition of Jupiter. So around the date of opposition of Jupiter, the planet appears the biggest and brightest for the year.

If the orbits of Earth and Jupiter were perfectly circular, then the closest approach of Jupiter and the opposition of Jupiter would occur at the same time.

When is Jupiter closest to Earth in 2024?

Jupiter will be closest to Earth on December 6, 2024, i.e., one day before its opposition in 2024. During the closest approach, Jupiter will be 4.08940 A.U., i.e., 611 million km away from the earth.

How often does Jupiter reach opposition?

Jupiter takes about 12 Earth years to orbit the sun once. So when our Earth makes one full revolution around the sun, Jupiter travels 1/12 of the way around the sun. So to create an opposition of Jupiter, our Earth would have to travel an extra 1/12 of the way in its orbit, which takes about (1/12)*365 = 30 days to travel.

That’s why planet Jupiter reaches opposition once every 13 months.

Dates of oppositions of Jupiter

Here are the dates of oppositions of Jupiter, according to NASA:

Date of opposition	Date of closest approach	Distance of closest approach (A.U.)
December 7, 2024	December 6, 2024	4.08940
January 10, 2026	January 9, 2026	4.23171
February 11, 2027	February 11, 2027	4.36115
March 12, 2028	March 13, 2028	4.44032
April 12, 2029	April 13, 2029	4.44892