Jupiter to Approach Earth Closest in 70 Years

Night of September 26 in the US
Ideal viewing locations are high-altitude, dark, and dry areas

On the night of September 26 (local time in the United States), the distance between Earth and Jupiter will be the closest in 70 years. The photo shows Jupiter as seen through the Hubble Telescope. Photo by NASA website

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] On the night of September 26 (local time in the United States), if you look up at the sky, you can see Jupiter, which appears unusually large and bright compared to usual.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the distance between Earth and Jupiter on this day is approximately 587,415,600 km. The greatest distance between the two stars can reach up to 965,606,400 km.

The reason for such a large difference in distance is that they have different orbital periods and revolve in elliptical orbits.

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and is located fifth closest to the Sun. On September 26, the brightest star shining near the Moon is Jupiter and its satellites.

Jupiter has 53 named moons. However, scientists believe that a total of 79 moons have been discovered. Among them, the four largest moons?Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto?are called the "Galilean moons." This name was given after Galileo Galilei, who first observed these moons in 1610.

Jupiter’s moons can be observed with binoculars or telescopes, appearing as bright dots on either side of Jupiter.

NASA stated, "If the weather is good for a few days around September 26, you will be able to see it well," adding, "Especially this time, the opposite side of Jupiter is visible, making it shine more brightly."

The phenomenon of seeing the opposite side of Jupiter from Earth occurs every 13 months, and this time, the timing coincides with this cycle, allowing us to see a larger and brighter Jupiter. NASA recommends high-altitude, dark, and dry areas as ideal viewing locations.

NASA is making various efforts to study Jupiter. The Jupiter probe Juno has been orbiting Jupiter for six years, focusing on exploring the planet’s surface and moons. Juno began its journey in 2011 and arrived at Jupiter five years later in 2016. Since then, the spacecraft has provided astonishing images and data about Jupiter’s atmosphere, internal structure, magnetic field, and magnetosphere.

Scientists believe that studying Jupiter could lead to groundbreaking discoveries about the formation of the solar system.

The next major project for exploring Jupiter is the "Europa Clipper." This spacecraft plans to explore Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons known for its "ice shell," with the goal of determining whether Europa has conditions capable of supporting life. The launch of Europa Clipper is scheduled for October 2024.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.