Overview
- NASA and multiple outlets say Jupiter will be the brightest planet of the year on January 10, visible all night as it reaches opposition.
- The planet is rising in the east after sunset near Gemini’s twin stars Castor and Pollux, with Orion nearby for easy sky orientation.
- At peak, Jupiter will glow at about magnitude −2.6, outshining every star and trailing only the Moon and Venus in brightness.
- Binoculars can reveal the four Galilean moons, while small telescopes can show the cloud belts and, in steady conditions, the Great Red Spot.
- Looking ahead, a Saturn–Moon conjunction is due on January 23, and Jupiter will remain a dominant evening target through March.