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Opposition

Jupiter at Opposition

Jupiter lies opposite the Sun in our sky — closest to Earth, brightest, and visible all night in Cancer.

Your local time

29 Jul 2026, 17:52

Universal time

29 Jul 2026, 12:22 UTC

Time since

Partially visible from New Delhi, IndiaNaked EyeVisible worldwide where sky conditions allow

At opposition Jupiter is directly opposite the Sun as seen from Earth. It rises at sunset, is highest around local midnight and sets at sunrise. This is also close to its minimum distance from Earth, so the planet appears at its largest and brightest for the year — the best time to observe it with a telescope.

Observation details

Visibility
Partially visible
Best viewing time
29 Jul 2026, 20:22
Direction to look
WNW · azimuth 283°
Altitude at peak
16.7°
Equipment
Naked Eye
Distance from Earth
6.301 AU
Apparent magnitude
-1.8
Constellation
Cancer

At the exact peak the sky is still bright, but the object is -13° high in darkness nearby.

New Delhi, India

28.6139°, 77.2090° · default location

Photography & observing tips

  • Observe when the planet is highest, near local midnight, to look through the least atmosphere.
  • Let a telescope cool to ambient temperature for 30 minutes before high-magnification viewing.
  • Planetary imaging works best by recording short video and stacking the sharpest frames.

Other opposition events

The nearest occurrences before and after this one.