Jupiter’s opposition to occur on Saturday

Skywatchers are set to get a visual treat on December 7, 2024, as they will bear witness to a spectacular phenomenon known as Jupiter’s opposition.

During this event, the three celestial objects the Earth, Sun, and Jupiter all will be aligned. As a result, Jupiter will shine brightly throughout the night and will allow people to see the biggest planet in the solar system.

Jupiter was closest to Earth at a distance of 611 million kilometres around 5am on Friday.

During the event, the gas planet will be the fourth brightest object in the sky after the sun, moon, and planet Venus. It’ll be the brightest starlike object visible for most of the night (after Venus sets in the evening sky).

The best time to observe Jupiter is around midnight when it will reach its highest point in the sky. With clear skies, people will be able to see Jupiter's intricate cloud bands and its four largest moons—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.