The gigantic, gaseous planet Jupiter will burn bright in the southern sky tonight (Sunday - Monday Dec. 2 - 3, 2012) as it aligns itself with the Earth and the Sun in a show that will be unparalleled until 2021, according to multiple space blogs.
The monstrous orb will appear markedly brighter than most stars in the nighttime sky, a product of Jupiter being its closest to Earth all year, according to EarthSky.org.
EarthSky was among space blogs reporting Jupiter's "opposition," or its alignment directly opposite the sun in the Earth's path, which is expected to happen around 2 a.m. Monday, Dec. 3.
Still, Jupiter will appear bright in the sky all night, meaning Michigan skywatchers won't have to stay up late to get a glimpse.
The alignment began Saturday December 1, 2012, and will continue into tonight, according to EarthSky:
Then [Saturday] Jupiter was only 378 million miles (609 million kilometers) away. Because Jupiter passed its perihelion – or closest point to the sun – in March 2011, the giant planet is now getting farther from the sun. As a result, at this opposition, Jupiter is as close as it will be until the year 2021.It may be 2021 until Jupiter is comparably close to Earth, but the planet does go into opposition every 13 or so months, EarthSky reported.
Weather forecasts throughout Michigan vary tonight, with some cloudy and partly cloudy weather expected, according to the National Weather Service.
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/12/luminous_jupiter_will_burn_bri.html#incart_river_default
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