Overview
- Jupiter rises at sunset and sets at sunrise in the constellation Gemini, outshining every star in the sky.
- The planet comes nearest around Jan. 9 at about 394 million miles from Earth, with opposition on Jan. 10.
- Binoculars or a small telescope can reveal its cloud bands and the four Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
- Look near Gemini’s bright stars Castor and Pollux, where Jupiter forms a prominent triangle.
- NASA also points to a Moon–Saturn conjunction on Jan. 23 and favorable views of the Beehive Cluster throughout January.