The planets · Jupiter
Jupiter at opposition, Jan 10, 2026
At opposition Jupiter is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun: it rises in the east as the Sun sets, is highest around midnight and sets at sunrise. It's the closest and brightest it gets this year, and it stays nearly as good for a few weeks either side.
- Opposition
- Jan 10, 2026, 8:29 AM UTC
- Distance
- 633.1 million km (393.4 million miles)
- Brightness
- magnitude -2.7
- Size through a telescope
- 45.6 arcseconds
- Where
- in Gemini
Binoculars held steady show up to four of its moons in a line beside it, changing places night to night. A small telescope shows its cloud belts.
From your city
When Jupiter rises that night where you are, and where it's highest.
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