Space Time
Jupiter at opposition, 2027
On February 11, 2027 (UTC), Jupiter reaches opposition at approximately magnitude -2.6. It rises at sunset and is up all night. Even steadied binoculars show the four Galilean moons as a tiny line of stars.
What's special about this one
Around opposition Jupiter is a bright target for much of the night. It is also the best time of year to watch its four Galilean moons shuffle, transit, and cast shadows on the cloud tops. Binoculars show the moons; a small telescope adds the belts and the Great Red Spot.
Opposition, closest approach and peak brightness are separate events. The closest and brightest values below are approximate extrema sampled once per day. Dates are in UTC; your local date may differ. Local altitude, weather, light pollution and equipment determine the view.
Find your local observing window · Inspect Jupiter’s data and appearance evidence
Brightness across the apparition
Visual magnitude (lower = brighter), computed daily. The gold dot marks the peak.
Apparent size
Equatorial disc diameter in arcseconds. Telescope views are best in the weeks around the peak.
Month by month
| Month | Magnitude | Disc | Distance | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | -1.9 | 34.1″ | 5.78 AU | Leo |
| Nov 2026 | -2.0 | 35.9″ | 5.49 AU | Leo |
| Dec 2026 | -2.2 | 39.2″ | 5.03 AU | Leo |
| Jan 2027 | -2.4 | 42.8″ | 4.60 AU | Leo |
| Feb 2027 | -2.5 | 45.1″ | 4.37 AU | Leo |
| Mar 2027 | -2.5 | 44.6″ | 4.42 AU | Leo |
| Apr 2027 | -2.3 | 41.8″ | 4.72 AU | Cnc |
| May 2027 | -2.1 | 38.2″ | 5.16 AU | Cnc |
| Jun 2027 | -1.9 | 34.9″ | 5.64 AU | Leo |
Watch it happen
Space Time is a free 3D universe explorer in your browser. Jump to opposition night and watch Jupiter at its real position and brightness, or generate the full ephemeris table yourself and export it as CSV. Open the simulation. To visit the planet itself, read Jupiter’s cloud bands and Galilean moons in 3D.
Method and sources
The date uses the app’s shared Astronomy Engine opposition search, not the largest value in a daily elongation table. Brightness, distance and size use the same ephemeris engine; distance and size are for a reference observer, so small topocentric differences are possible. Calendar dates were cross-checked against In-The-Sky’s independent planetary ephemerides on September 23, 2026. These are predictions, not live telescope measurements.