Monday night offers a rare viewing opportunity for the planet Jupiter.
On Monday night, Jupiter will be at opposition, meaning that the planet will be directly opposite the sun and fully illuminated, allowing for the best viewing of that object.
This year, however, Jupiter is passing particularly close to the earth. At 368 million miles away, this is the closest Jupiter has been since 1963. Jupiter will not pass close to the earth again until 2022 since the planet has an orbital period of 12 years.
This astronomical event is made even more special by the fact that Uranus will also be at opposition on Monday night.
Jupiter has been through a lot in the past year. Last July, the gas giant was struck by a comet, creating a large black spot in addition to the Great Red Spot. Also, the South Equatorial Belt has recently disappeared. The brown band may simply be hidden under the clouds.
