--- title: How to See Jupiter Shine Bright in Opposition Tonight description: Jupiter will be shining bright in the sky tonight when it comes in opposition to the Earth and the Sun. Here's how you can see it. canonical: https://time.com/5269955/jupiter-earth-how-to-see/ author: Jennifer Calfas article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-05-08T19:55:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T20:12:57.534Z article:section: Science og:title: The Best Views of Jupiter Are Happening Tonight. Here's How to See It og:description: Jupiter will be shining bright in the sky tonight when it comes in opposition tonight og:url: https://time.com/5269955/jupiter-earth-how-to-see/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt40e3a6fe6055ec21/6988f791cf40a85361c4ade2/jupiter-juno-nasa.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: jupiter-juno-nasa og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Best Views of Jupiter Are Happening Tonight. Here's How to See It twitter:description: Jupiter will be shining bright in the sky tonight when it comes in opposition tonight twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt40e3a6fe6055ec21/6988f791cf40a85361c4ade2/jupiter-juno-nasa.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Best Views of Jupiter Are Happening Tonight. Here's How to See It by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas May 8, 2018 7:55 PM UTC  NASA / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt / Seán Doran by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas May 8, 2018 7:55 PM UTC Earth dwellers, turn your attention to the sky Tuesday night. Jupiter will shine its brightest all year, making the giant planet visible to the naked eye. (That is, if clouds don’t get in the way.) Jupiter will shine brightly Tuesday night since the planet is in opposition to the sun, [according to EarthSky.org](http://earthsky.org/tonight/earth-passes-between-jupiter-and-sun), a radio program dedicated to science and nature. “Opposition,” in astrological terms, means Earth will sit directly between Jupiter and the Sun, making the planet more visible than usual. Indeed, the planet will shine brighter than the all of the stars in the sky — but, of course, the sun, the moon and Venus, the brightest planet from Earth’s perspective, will shine brighter. > [](https://twitter.com/earthskyscience/status/993898596650102784) Jupiter’s opposition is projected to occur at around 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday night, according to EarthSky. Viewers can expect to see it in front of the Libra constellation. In late April, star gazers [got a glimpse](http://time.com/5260204/see-jupiter-full-moon/) of a full moon next to Jupiter. The giant planet will come its closest to Earth in orbit on May 10. The planet’s opposition happens every 13 months, according to EarthSky, and will occur again on June 10, 2019. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5269955/jupiter-earth-how-to-see/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5269955/jupiter-earth-how-to-see/"},"headline":"The Best Views of Jupiter Are Happening Tonight. 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