Earth-Jupiter rendezvous! Gas giant's closet approach in 59 years on September 26 - How to watch

Jupiter Planet Close To Earth: It will be a sore sight for the stargazers' eyes as they can expect excellent views of Jupiter the entire night today, September 26. The biggest planet will appear larger and brighter than any other time of the year. This is said to be the closest approach to Earth after almost six decades since 1963. This happens because Earth and Jupiter do not orbit the Sun in perfect circles – meaning the planets will pass each other at different distances throughout the year.

Jupiter’s closest approach to Earth rarely coincides with opposition, which means this year’s views will be extraordinary.

At its closest approach, Jupiter will be approximately 367 million miles in distance from Earth, about the same distance it was in 1963. The gas giant is approximately 600 million miles away from Earth at its farthest point.

Adam Kobelski, a research astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said that the views should be great for a few days before and after September 26, according to NASA website.

Scientists believe studying Jupiter can lead to breakthrough discoveries about the formation of the solar system. The Juno mission, a NASA space probe orbiting Jupiter, was recently extended until 2025 or until the end of the spacecraft’s life. The spacecraft has been orbiting Jupiter for six years and is dedicated to exploring the planet and its moons.

Juno began its journey in 2011 and reached Jupiter five years later. Since 2016, the spacecraft has provided incredible images and data about Jupiter’s lively atmosphere, interior structures, internal magnetic field, and magnetosphere.