The Position of Jupiter in the Night Sky:

2025 to 2029

 by Martin J. Powell

The path of Jupiter against the background stars of Gemini, Cancer, Leo and Virgo from August 2025 to October 2029, with positions marked on the 1st of each month (click on the thumbnail for the full-size image). Periods when the planet is unobservable (i.e. when it is too close to the Sun, or passes behind it) are indicated by a dashed line; hence the planet becomes lost from view (in the evening sky) in early July 2026 and becomes visible again (in the morning sky) in mid-August of that year. The chart shows the changing shape of a planet's apparent looping formation as it moves through the zodiac: Jupiter describes a zig-zag formation in Gemini in the 2025-26 observing period, followed by a 'hybrid' loop (half loop, half zig-zag) in western Leo in the 2026-27 period, transforming into Northward-facing loops in both 2027-28 and 2028-29.

The star map applies to observers in the Northern hemisphere (i.e. North is up); for the Southern hemisphere view, click here. The faintest stars on the map have an apparent magnitude of about +4.8. Printer-friendly versions of this chart are available for Northern and Southern hemisphere views. Astronomical co-ordinates of Right Ascension (longitude, measured Eastwards in hrs:mins from the First Point of Aries) and Declination (latitude, measured in degrees North or South of the celestial equator) are marked around the border of the chart. Click here to see a 'clean' star map of the area (i.e. without planet path); observers may wish to use the 'clean' star map as an aid to plotting the planet's position on a specific night - in which case, a printable version can be found here. Night sky photographs of the region, together with dates of the planet's passage of the brighter stars, can be seen below.

The three star names shown in yellow-green were officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2017 and 2018, derived from Persian, Coptic and Chinese mythology (for more details see the IAU's Working Group on Star Names pages).

Having spent the entire 2024-25 apparition within the constellation of Taurus, the Bull, Jupiter heads out of view in the dusk twilight in early June of 2025, crossing into Gemini, the Twins, soon afterwards. The planet is then unobservable from Earth for several weeks, reaching its most Northerly point of the zodiac (declination  = +23° 16' or +23°.28 in decimal form) in mid-June and passing through superior conjunction (positioned behind the Sun as seen from the Earth) in the third week of that month.

Jupiter with its moon Ganymede in transit, imaged by Michael Wong (Hong Kong, China) at the planet's opposition in November 2023 (click on the thumbnail for a larger version). Ganymede took an hour to complete the transit, whilst casting its shadow upon the Jovian disk. Wong used a 14-inch (356 mm) Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector telescope fitted with a planetary camera (Image: Michael Wong / ALPO-Japan)

Jupiter emerges in the dawn sky - rising shortly before the Sun - in mid-July 2025, marking the start of the planet's 2025-26 apparition. The planet is moving direct (West to East) at this time, positioned in Western Gemini, a few degrees South-west of the star Mebsuta ( Gem or Epsilon Geminorum, apparent magnitude +3.0). In early August 2025 Jupiter appears to form an isosceles triangle with the constellation's brightest stars Castor ( Gem or Alpha Geminorum, mag. +1.6) and Pollux ( Gem or Beta Geminorum, mag. +1.1) to its ENE, the long sides of the triangle measuring 13° (the apparent distance between Castor and Pollux is 4°.5). In early September Jupiter makes a close pass of the star Wasat ( Gem or Delta Geminorum, mag. +3.5) then in mid-September it crosses to the North of the ecliptic (the apparent path of the Sun through the zodiac, which the Moon and planets follow closely). In mid-November the planet reaches its Eastern stationary point before turning retrograde (moving East to West) and describing its 2025-26 'zig-zag' pattern against the stars of Eastern Gemini. Jupiter reaches opposition (its closest and brightest orbital position in relation to the Earth for that year) in the second week of January 2026, positioned several degrees to the South and SSW of Castor and Pollux respectively. Moving retrograde, the planet makes another close pass of Wasat around mid-January. Now in the evening sky, Jupiter continues its Westward motion and reaches its Western stationary point in mid-March, positioned several degrees to the South-west and WSW of Castor and Pollux, respectively (the three forming a near-isosceles triangle). Jupiter then resumes direct motion, making a third and final pass of Wasat at the end of April and moving into Cancer, the Crab, in the third week of June. A few days later Castor and Pollux appear to 'point the way' to Jupiter, the three celestial bodies forming a line 12°.5 long, pointing SSE towards the head of Hydra, the Water Snake, some 19° to the SSE of the planet. As Jupiter heads towards central Cancer in the second week of July the planet becomes lost from view in the dusk twilight, bringing the 2025-26 apparition to a close.

Jupiter passes through superior conjunction in late July 2026, re-appearing in the dawn sky in central Cancer in mid-August, heralding the start of its 2026-27 apparition. The planet enters Leo, the Lion, in the third week of September, passing to the South of the Sickle asterism (star pattern), at the Western end of the constellation, in early November. Jupiter reaches its Eastern stationary point in mid-December, located within the confines of the Sickle and 3°.3 to the WNW of Leo's brightest star Regulus ( Leo or Alpha Leonis, mag. +1.4). The planet turns retrograde and heads away from the Sickle in the third week of January 2027, reaching opposition in mid-February 2027, some 8°.3 to the WNW of Regulus. Jupiter describes most of its 2026-27 'hybrid loop' pattern against the stars of Western Leo, just to the West of the Sickle; the remainder of the loop takes place in Cancer, which the planet re-enters in mid-March. Here it reaches its Western stationary point in mid-April, positioned only 1° from the constellation's border with Leo. The planet resumes direct motion and re-enters Leo in the second week of May, again passing South of the Sickle from late June to early August whilst passing a short distance North of Regulus in late July. Soon afterwards Jupiter heads out of view in the dusk twilight, bringing the 2026-27 apparition to a close.

The planet remains out of view for the next six weeks, passing through superior conjunction at the end of August 2027 before emerging into the dawn sky by the third week of September, at the start of its 2027-28 apparition. Jupiter begins the apparition in central Southern Leo, located just beneath the Lion's belly, but steadily heads ESEwards, entering Virgo, the Maiden, in the third week of November. Jupiter reaches its Eastern stationary point in mid-January 2028, located a short distance North of the star Zavijava ( Vir or Beta Virginis, mag. +3.6), at the Western end of the constellation. Part of the planet's Northward-facing loop is described in Western Virgo but it is mostly described in South-eastern Leo, which Jupiter re-enters whilst moving retrograde in early March. The planet reaches opposition to the Sun in mid-March, positioned about 10° South of Leo's rump and less than 1° West of that constellation's boundary with Virgo. Moving retrograde, Jupiter makes a close pass of the star Leo (Sigma Leonis, mag. +4.0), at the foot of the Lion's rear leg, in the second week of April, reaching its Western stationary point in mid-May, a short distance West of that star. The planet then turns direct, passing close to Leo again in mid-June and re-entering Virgo in the third week of July. Jupiter passes close to Zavijava for a third time during the second week of August, crossing to the South of the celestial equator - where the declination of a celestial body is 0° ( = 0°) - in early September. The planet becomes lost from view in the Western sky at dusk soon afterwards, thereby ending the 2027-28 apparition.

Jupiter passes through superior conjunction at the end of September 2028, rising in the Eastern sky at dawn sky by the third week of October, located near the star Porrima ( Vir or Gamma Virginis, mag. +3.5). Moving direct, the planet makes a close pass of the star  Vir (Theta Virginis, mag. +4.4) in the third week of November, reaching its Eastern stationary point in the second week of February 2029, located 4°.7 to the ENE of the constellation's brightest star Spica ( Vir or Alpha Virginis, mag. +1.0). The planet's open, Northward-facing loop is described entirely amongst the stars of South-eastern Virgo. Jupiter turns retrograde, reaching opposition in mid-April, positioned some 4° North of Spica; it is the planet's most distant and dimmest opposition since 2017. Continuing its motion to the WNW, the planet makes a second close pass of  Vir in mid-May, reaching its Western stationary point in mid-June, 1°.2 West of that star. Resuming direct motion towards the ESE, Jupiter passes close to  Vir for a third and final time in mid-July, passing to the North of Spica again in mid-August. The planet ends its 2028-29 apparition during the second week of October, as it heads into the dusk twilight in South-eastern Virgo.

Jupiter passes through superior conjunction at the end of October 2029, entering Libra, the Balance, on the same day. The planet re-emerges in the morning sky by the third week of November, positioned in the Western half of that constellation.

[Terms in yellow italics are explained in greater detail in an associated article describing planetary movements in the night sky.]

Jupiter in Aries, the Ram photographed by the writer a few days after the planet's opposition in November 2023. In the full-size picture stars are visible down to about magnitude +6.2 (click here for an annotated version and click on the thumbnail for the full-size photo).

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Jupiter Opposition Data, 2026 to 2029

Jupiter reaches opposition to the Sun (when it is closest to the Earth and brightest in the sky for any given apparition) every 398.9 days on average, i.e. about 33½ days later in each successive year. For the period covered by the above star map, oppositions take place on January 10th 2026, February 11th 2027, March 12th 2028 and April 12th 2029. Around opposition, the planet is due South at local midnight in the Northern hemisphere (due North at local midnight in the Southern hemisphere).

Data relating to Jupiter's oppositions from 2026 to 2029 are provided in the table below.

Jupiter opposition data for the period 2026 to 2029 (click on the thumbnail for the full-size table). The Declination is the angle of the planet to the North (+) or South (-) of the celestial equator; on the star chart, it represents the planet's angular distance above or below the blue line. The angular diameter (or apparent size) of the planet as seen from Earth is given in arcseconds (where 1 arcsecond = 1/3600th of a degree).

Jupiter reached a maximum angular diameter at the 2022 opposition, after it passed perihelion - its closest orbital point to the Sun - in early 2023. Since then its angular diameter has reduced slightly at each successive opposition as its distance from Earth has increased. This is reflected in the planet's apparent magnitude, which has faded since its peak at the 2022 opposition and continues to fade over the period, through to its next most distant opposition in April 2029 (the planet passes aphelion - its most distant orbital point from the Sun - in December 2028). The Tilt (the inclination of Jupiter's rotational axis relative to the Earth's orbital plane) is positive (+) when Jupiter's Northern hemisphere is tipped towards the Earth and negative (-) when its Southern hemisphere is tipped towards the Earth; the maximum value it can attain is ±3°.4. The Tilt values were obtained from the SETI Institute's JUICE/Jupiter Ephemeris Generator 3.0. All other data were obtained from 'Redshift' and 'SkyGazer Ephemeris' software. The Jupiter images were obtained from NASA's Solar System Simulator.

Superior conjunction takes place when Jupiter passes behind the Sun as seen from the Earth; the planet is not visible from Earth for about two weeks on either side of this date. At superior conjunction the planet's apparent brightness fades to -1.9 (in 2026) and -1.7 (in 2027, 2028 and 2029) whilst its apparent diameter shrinks to 31".3 (in 2026), 30".8 (in 2027), 30".6 (in 2028) and 30".7 (in 2029).

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Jupiter Conjunctions with other Planets,

2025

Viewed from the orbiting Earth, whenever two planets appear to pass each other in the night sky (a line-of-sight effect) the event is known as a planetary conjunction or appulse. Not all planetary conjunctions will be visible from the Earth, however, because many of them take place too close to the Sun. Furthermore, not all of them will be seen from across the world since the observers' latitude will affect the altitude (angle above the horizon) at which the two planets are seen at the time of the event, and the local season will affect the sky brightness at that particular time. A flat, unobstructed horizon will normally be required to observe most of them.

A conjunction of Jupiter and Mars in the morning sky in August 2024, photographed by the writer using a telephoto lens. Note the subtly differing colours of the two planets, also four of Jupiter's moons.

Conjunctions between Jupiter and Venus are perhaps the most spectacular to view and the most photogenic. A morning conjunction between these two planets takes place on August 12th 2025 in central Gemini, the pair being separated by 0°.8. They contrast nicely with the much wider (and much dimmer) stellar pair of Castor ( Gem or Alpha Geminorum, mag. +1.6) and Pollux ( Gem or Beta Geminorum, mag. +1.1), the brightest stars in the constellation, positioned 12° to their North-east (Castor and Pollux themselves point South-eastwards towards Mercury, of magnitude +1.5, which is just beginning a morning apparition). At latitude 50° North Jupiter and Venus reach around 25° high in the East as Jupiter fades from view in the dawn sky, whilst at 30° North the pair are around 32° high, also in the East. At mid-Southern latitudes the pair stand around 12° to 18° high in the North-east when Jupiter disappears in the twilight. The pair rise in darkness between latitudes of about 55° North and 40° South.

Full details of the only planetary conjunction involving Jupiter during 2025 are provided in the table below.

Jupiter conjunctions with other planets in 2025 (click on thumbnail for full-size table). The column headed 'UT' is the Universal Time (equivalent to GMT) of the conjunction (in hrs : mins). The separation (column 'Sep') is the angular distance between the two planets, measured relative to Jupiter, hence on 2025 Aug 12 Venus is positioned 0°.8 South of Jupiter at the time shown. The 'Favourable Hemisphere' column shows the Hemisphere in which the conjunction is best observed. The expression 'Not high NHem' indicates that observers at latitudes further North than about 45°N will find the conjunction difficult or impossible to observe because of low altitude and/or bright twilight.

To find the direction in which the conjunction is seen, note down the constellation in which the planets are located ('Con' column) and find the constellation's rising direction for your particular latitude in the Rise-Set direction table.

Although any given conjunction takes place at a particular instant in time, it is worth pointing out that, because of the planets' relatively slow daily motions, such events are interesting to observe for several days both before and after the actual conjunction date.

There are in fact two methods of defining a planetary conjunction date: one is measured in Right Ascension (i.e. perpendicular to the celestial equator) and the other is measured along the ecliptic, which is inclined at 23½° to the Earth's equatorial plane (this is due to the tilt of the Earth's axis in space). An animation showing how conjunction dates are determined by each method can be found on the Jupiter-Uranus 2010-11 triple conjunction page. Although conjunctions measured along the ecliptic can be significantly closer, the Right Ascension method is the more commonly used, and it is the one which is adopted here.

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Constellations of the Zodiac: Photographs

Gemini, Cancer, Leo and Virgo Three photographs showing the region of the night sky through which Jupiter passes from 2025 to 2029 (click on the thumbnails for their full-size versions). The regions of the star chart which are covered by each photograph are shown on the overlay chart above; dashed lines indicate that the photograph extends beyond the boundaries of the chart. The faintest stars visible in each photo are approximately as follows: Gemini photo (blue border): magnitude +6.5; Cancer photo (green border): mag. +8.2; Leo/Virgo photo (red border): mag. +7.0. Note that the photographs do not have the same scale because of the varying camera lens settings and image resolutions.

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Passage of Bright Stars, 2025 to 2029

As it slowly moves along the 'celestial highway' known as the ecliptic (the apparent path of the Sun through the constellations, which the Moon and planets follow closely) Jupiter passes numerous bright stars; these are listed below, in chronological order:

2025

July 19th - Passes 6°.7 North of Alhena ( Gem or Gamma Geminorum, mag. +1.9) in Gemini, the Twins.
July 26th - Passes 2°.1 South of Mebsuta ( Gem or Epsilon Geminorum, mag. +3.0) in Gemini, the Twins.
August 17th - Passes 2°.0 North of Mekbuda (Gem or Zeta Geminorum, mag. +3.9v) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
August 26th - Passes 7°.7 South of  Gem (Tau Geminorum, mag. +4.4) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
September 6th - Passes 9' (0°.15) North of Wasat ( Gem or Delta Geminorum, mag. +3.5) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
September 14th - Passes 5°.7 South of   Gem (Iota Geminorum, mag. +3.8) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
September 29th - Passes 10°.1 South of Castor ( Gem or Alpha Geminorum, mag. +1.6) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
October 23rd - Passes 3°.0 South of Gem (Kappa Geminorum, mag. +3.5) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
October 27th - Passes 6°.6 South of Pollux ( Gem or Beta Geminorum, mag. +1.1) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
November 26th - Passes 6°.5 South of Pollux ( Gem or Beta Geminorum, mag. +1.1) in Gemini, the Twins (moving retrograde).
November 30th - Passes 2°.9 South of Gem (Kappa Geminorum, mag. +3.5) in Gemini, the Twins (moving retrograde).
December 24th - Passes 9°.9 South of Castor ( Gem or Alpha Geminorum, mag. +1.6) in Gemini, the Twins (moving retrograde).

2026

January 9th - Passes 5°.5 South of   Gem (Iota Geminorum, mag. +3.8) in Gemini, the Twins (moving retrograde).
January 19th - Passes 28' (0°.46) North of Wasat ( Gem or Delta Geminorum, mag. +3.5) in Gemini, the Twins (moving retrograde).
February 6th - Passes 7°.4 South of  Gem (Tau Geminorum, mag. +4.4) in Gemini, the Twins (moving retrograde).
March 9th - Passes 2°.4 North of Mekbuda (Gem or Zeta Geminorum, mag. +3.9v) in Gemini, the Twins (stationary).
April 13th - Passes 7°.4 South of  Gem (Tau Geminorum, mag. +4.4) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
April 30th - Passes 34' (0°.56) North of Wasat ( Gem or Delta Geminorum, mag. +3.5) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
May 9th - Passes 5°.4 South of   Gem (Iota Geminorum, mag. +3.8) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
May 22nd - Passes 9°.7 South of Castor ( Gem or Alpha Geminorum, mag. +1.6) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
June 3rd - Passes 2°.7 South of Gem (Kappa Geminorum, mag. +3.5) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
June 4th - Passes 6°.3 South of Pollux ( Gem or Beta Geminorum, mag. +1.1) in Gemini, the Twins (moving direct).
July 10th - Passes 11°.0 North of Tarf ( Cnc or Beta Cancri, mag. +3.5) in Cancer, the Crab.
August 25th - Passes 5º.8 North of Acubens ( Cnc or Alpha Cancri, mag. +4.3) in Cancer, the Crab.
October 7th - Passes 7°.6 South of Alterf ( Leo or Lambda Leonis, mag. +4.3) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
October 22nd - Passes 4°.7 North of Subra ( Leo or Omicron Leonis, mag. +3.5) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
• November 1st - Passes 9°.4 South of Ras Elased Australis ( Leo or Epsilon Leonis, mag. +2.9) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
November 18th - Passes 12°.2 South of Rasalas ( Leo or Mu Leonis, mag. +3.9) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).

Jupiter Rising Photographed by the writer at dusk in early 2015, when the planet was previously positioned in Cancer (click on the thumbnail for the full-size picture).

2027

January 6th - Passes 11°.9 South of Rasalas ( Leo or Mu Leonis, mag. +3.9) in Leo, the Lion (moving retrograde).
January 24th - Passes 9°.1 South of Ras Elased Australis ( Leo or Epsilon Leonis, mag. +2.9) in Leo, the Lion (moving retrograde).
February 4th - Passes 5°.1 North of Subra ( Leo or Omicron Leonis, mag. +3.5) in Leo, the Lion (moving retrograde).
February 22nd - Passes 7°.2 South of Alterf ( Leo or Lambda Leonis, mag. +4.3) in Leo, the Lion (moving retrograde).
June 2nd - Passes 7°.3 South of Alterf ( Leo or Lambda Leonis, mag. +4.3) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
June 18th - Passes 5°.0 North of Subra ( Leo or Omicron Leonis, mag. +3.5) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
June 26th - Passes 9°.3 South of Ras Elased Australis ( Leo or Epsilon Leonis, mag. +2.9) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
July 6th - Passes 12°.0 South of Rasalas ( Leo or Mu Leonis, mag. +3.9) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
July 26th - Passes 28' (0°.46) North of Regulus ( Leo or Alpha Leonis, mag. +1.4) in Leo, the Lion.
August 10th - Passes 8°.4 South of Algieba (¹ Leo or Gamma-1 Leonis, mag. +2.3) in Leo, the Lion.
October 4th - Passes 24' (0°.4) South of  Leo (Chi Leonis, mag. +4.6) in Leo, the Lion.
October 17th - Passes 9°.4 South of Chertan ( Leo or Theta Leonis, mag. +3.3) in Leo, the Lion.
October 27th - Passes 44' (0°.73) South of Leo (Sigma Leonis, mag. +4.0) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
• October 31st - Passes 5°.5 South of  Leo (Iota Leonis, mag. +4.0) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
November 22nd - Passes 4°.5 North of Leo (Upsilon Leonis, mag. +4.3) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
December 12th - Passes 3°.6 South of  Vir (Nu Virginis, mag. +4.0) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving direct).
December 24th - Passes 12°.0 South of Denebola ( Leo or Beta Leonis, mag. +2.1) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).

2028

• January 1st - Passes 37' (0º.61) North of Zavijava ( Vir or Beta Virginis, mag. +3.6) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving direct).
• January 24th - Passes 44' (0º.73) North of Zavijava ( Vir or Beta Virginis, mag. +3.6) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving retrograde).
February 1st - Passes 11°.8 South of Denebola ( Leo or Beta Leonis, mag. +2.1) in Leo, the Lion (moving retrograde).
February 13th - Passes 3°.4 South of  Vir (Nu Virginis, mag. +4.0) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving retrograde).
March 5th - Passes 5°.0 North of Leo (Upsilon Leonis, mag. +4.3) in Leo, the Lion (moving retrograde).
April 3rd - Passes 5°.0 South of  Leo (Iota Leonis, mag. +4.0) in Leo, the Lion (moving retrograde).
April 10th - Passes 13' (0°.21) South of Leo (Sigma Leonis, mag. +4.0) in Leo, the Lion (moving retrograde).
June 17th - Passes 27' (0°.45) South of Leo (Sigma Leonis, mag. +4.0) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
June 25th - Passes 5°.2 South of  Leo (Iota Leonis, mag. +4.0) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
July 20th - Passes 4°.6 North of Leo (Upsilon Leonis, mag. +4.3) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
August 3rd - Passes 3°.7 South of  Vir (Nu Virginis, mag. +4.0) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving direct).
August 8th - Passes 12°.1 South of Denebola ( Leo or Beta Leonis, mag. +2.1) in Leo, the Lion (moving direct).
• August 10th - Passes 29' (0º.48) North of Zavijava ( Vir or Beta Virginis, mag. +3.6) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving direct).
August 30th - Passes 8°.0 South of  Vir (Omicron Virginis, mag. +4.1) in Virgo, the Maiden.
October 16th - Passes 1º.8 South of Porrima ( Vir or Gamma Virginis, mag. +3.5) in Virgo, the Maiden.
November 3rd - Passes 8°.1 South of Minelauva ( Vir or Delta Virginis, mag. +3.4) in Virgo, the Maiden.
November 22nd - Passes 38' (0º.63) South of  Vir (Theta Virginis, mag. +4.4) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving direct).
December 16th - Passes 3°.5 North of Spica ( Vir or Alpha Virginis, mag. +1.0) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving direct).

2029

• January 5th - Passes 7°.8 South of Heze ( Vir or Zeta Virginis, mag. +3.5) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving direct).
• March 19th - Passes 7°.6 South of Heze ( Vir or Zeta Virginis, mag. +3.5) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving retrograde).
• April 9th - Passes 3°.9 North of Spica ( Vir or Alpha Virginis, mag. +1.0) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving retrograde).
• May 15th - Passes 16' (0º.26) South of  Vir (Theta Virginis, mag. +4.4) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving retrograde).
• July 14th - Passes 32' (0º.53) South of  Vir (Theta Virginis, mag. +4.4) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving direct).
• August 16th - Passes 3°.4 North of Spica ( Vir or Alpha Virginis, mag. +1.0) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving direct).
• September 1st - Passes 8°.0 South of Heze ( Vir or Zeta Virginis, mag. +3.5) in Virgo, the Maiden (moving direct).

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Jupiter Transit Altitudes, 2025 to 2029

Jupiter is the largest of the Solar System planets and it can show considerable detail even through modest-sized telescopes. A major factor determining the likelihood of seeing a clear telescopic image is the altitude (angle above the horizon) of a planet at the time of observation. For the naked-eye observer, apart from the increased likelihood of obstruction from trees and buildings, a planet's low altitude is generally of little consequence, however for the telescopic observer high altitude is essential in order to minimise the effects of turbulence, atmospheric dimming and light pollution (skyglow) which prevails near the horizon. Consequently, telescopic observers consider high altitude transits (when a celestial body crosses the observer's meridian, reaching its highest point in the sky) as more favourable than low altitude transits. As a general rule, telescopic observation is best done when a celestial body's altitude is greater than about 30°; hence observation in the couple of hours after rising or before setting is best avoided, unless there is no other alternative.

Jupiter's meridian transit altitude (as seen from any given point on Earth) varies from one year to the next in the course of its 11.8-year journey through the zodiac constellations. Its most Northerly point is attained in Gemini (around 23½° North of the celestial equator) then - some six years later - its most Southerly point is attained in Sagittarius (around 23½° South of the celestial equator). In the intervening years, the planet lies somewhere between these two extremes.

The meridian transit altitude at which an observer sees a planet depends not only upon the constellation in which the planet is positioned at the time, but also upon the observer's latitude. As a result, certain apparitions are more favourable to observers in one hemisphere than to observers in the opposite hemisphere, as demonstrated in the table below:

Transit altitudes of Jupiter at successive oppositions from 2025 to 2029, as seen from a variety of latitudes (click on thumbnail for full-size table). The Declination (Dec.) is the angle of the planet to the North (+) or South (-) of the celestial equator at the time of the planet's opposition. The Altitude Range is the approximate altitude variation over the course of the apparition, e.g. for the 2026/27 apparition at latitude 40° North, the transit altitude of Jupiter ranges from (65°.1 - 3°.4) = 61°.7 to (65°.1 + 3°.4) = 68°.5. The table shows that, over the four apparition periods, Jovian transit altitudes improve significantly for Southern hemisphere observers but worsen for Northern hemisphere observers.

What are the best and worst case scenarios regarding Jupiter's transiting altitude? Southern hemisphere observers witnessed their best case scenario (and Northern hemisphere observers witnessed their worst) in the 2019 and 2020 apparitions, when the planet was positioned in Ophiuchus and Sagittarius, respectively (see table on the 2019-21 page). Jupiter then transited at altitudes of around 70° to 80° at mid-Southern latitudes; the next best observing periods here will be in the early 2030s.

Northern hemisphere observers last saw their best case scenario (and Southern hemisphere observers saw their worst) in the 2024-25 observing period, when Jupiter was positioned close to its most Northerly point in Taurus (see table on the 2022-24 page). Observers at mid-Northern latitudes then saw the planet transit at around 70° high in the sky whilst mid-Southern hemisphere observers saw the planet transiting at only 30° high. The next best viewing time for the Northern hemisphere will be in the observing period which immediately follows (2025-26) when Jupiter is close to its most Northerly point in Gemini (see above table). After 2026 the planet's next high-Northerly position will be in Taurus in 2036.

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Moon near Jupiter Dates, 2025

The Moon is easy to find, and on one or two days in each month, it passes Jupiter in the sky. Use the following table to see on which dates the Moon is in the vicinity of the planet:

The Moon moves relatively quickly against the background stars in an Eastward direction, at about its own angular width (0º.5) each hour (about 12º.2 per day). Because it is relatively close to the Earth, an effect called parallax causes it to appear in a slightly different position (against the background stars) when seen from any two locations on the globe at any given instant; the further apart the locations, the greater the Moon's apparent displacement against the background stars. Therefore, for any given date and time listed in the table, the Moon will appear closer to Jupiter when seen from some locations than from others. For this reason, the dates shown in the table should be used only for general guidance.

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Jupiter's Four Brightest Moons

Jupiter's four brightest moons (satellites) - namely Ganymede (magnitude +4.6 at opposition), Io (+5.0), Europa (+5.3) and Callisto (+5.6) - can readily be seen through telescopes or steadily-held binoculars. The moons are seen to change their position in relation to each other, along the planet's equatorial plane, from one night to the next. In fact, their motion can be detected in the space of just a few hours.

Jupiter and its moons imaged by Jorge Samaniego in August 2021 (click on the thumbnail for the full-size picture) (Image: Jorge Samaniego / ALPO-Japan).

Because of their low magnification, binoculars may have some difficulty detecting Io since it is the closest of the four moons to the planet; it never lies more than three Jupiter-diameters away. Europa is easier, but Ganymede is the easiest of the four to see. Callisto moves furthest away from the planet but it is also the faintest of the four.

Due to Jupiter's shallow axial tilt (3º.1 to the plane of its orbit), the Jovian moons appear to present a more-or-less linear motion when seen from the Earth. This is in contrast to, say, Saturn with its relatively high axial tilt (26º.7), which causes its moons to mostly follow apparent elliptical paths around the planet when viewed from the Earth (see Saturn's five brightest moons). Approximately every six years, when the Earth passes through Jupiter's equatorial plane, the Jovian moons are seen to become involved in mutual occultations (where the moons pass in front of each other) and mutual eclipses (where a moon's shadow falls upon another moon). Numerous mutual events (or mutual phenomena) took place in the 2021-22 observing period; the next series of events will occur between May 2026 and August 2027.

According to the Italian amateur astronomer Pierpaolo Ricci, a rare sighting of three satellites on the Jovian disk - namely Io, Europa and Callisto - takes place on December 11th 2026 (two months before the planet's opposition) in an 18-minute period between 2235 UT and 2253 UT. It is one of only 17 occasions during the 21st century when three moons can be seen simultaneously transiting the disk.

The positions of Jupiter's four brightest moons can be found using Sky & Telescope's Jupiter Moons facility.

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Credits

• The star chart was created using the commercial software MegaStar (by Willmann-Bell, Inc). Star colours were based on those shown in "Patrick Moore's Colour Star Atlas" (Mitchell Beazley Publishers Ltd., London, 1973).
• The times and separations of the lunar conjunctions with Jupiter (Moon near Jupiter dates), the lunar phases and the planetary conjunction dates were obtained from the commercial software RedShift 5 by Maris Technologies Ltd using the 'Conjunctions' option of the 'Sky Diary'.
• Visibility durations and altitudes of planetary conjunctions were assessed using the 'Night Sky Map & Planets Visible' utility at TimeandDate.com.

• The future dates of the mutual events of the Jovian moons were obtained from a form on the IMCCE's 'Satellites Phenomena' page.

• The zodiac signs used in the Jupiter opposition data table were from the free graphics site 4Yeo.

Copyright  Martin J Powell  December 2024