Jupiter will be closest to Earth in 70 years on September 26, all you need to know

Jupiter will be in opposition in late September. This means that it will be on the opposite side of Earth as compared to the Sun from the viewpoint of an observer on Earth. As the Sun sets in the west, Jupiter will rise in the east. The planet will appear larger and brighter than any time of the year.

The opposition of Jupiter occurs every 13 months. However, it “rarely coincides” with the closest approach, which is why NASA has said that the views this year will be “extraordinary”.

Jupiter may be just two planets away but it is in no way close to Earth. At its farthest point, the planet is approximately 600 million miles away from Earth. When closest, it is approximately 365 million miles away from Earth.

All you need is a pair of good binoculars and the banding (at least the central band) and three or four of the big moons should be visible.

A four inch-or-larger telescope will let you see the bands of Jupiter in more detail and also the Great Red Spot, a long-ongoing massive storm system on the planet. Some filters in the green to blue range will enhance the visibility of these features.

The ideal viewing location for Jupiter on this extraordinary night will be an area at a high elevation which is dark and dry.

One of the key needs is a stable mount for whichever telescope you use. Astrophysicists remind that Galileo was able to observe the big moons and Jupiter with the viewing technology of the 17th century.

While the four largest moons -- Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto -- the Galilean satellites, are what you should aim for as they will be spectacularly visible with the right equipment, there’s more to the biggest planet. The number of moons around Jupiter was earlier thought to be 53, but now scientists believe that a total of 79 have been detected.