Astronomy Essentials

Why is Jupiter closest to Earth this year before opposition?

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February 10, 2027

Animation: tan, banded Jupiter rotating, with the big oval red spot crossing it, and two bright dots for moons nearby. — View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Surry, Virginia, created this animation of Jupiter from images captured in the wee hours of October 19, 2023. It’s a beauty! Thank you, Steve. And, if you look closely, you can see Jupiter’s moons Europa and Io, in the upper left and right, respectively. Wow!

Jupiter closest to Earth February 10, 2027

Have you noticed a very bright object in the east earlier each evening? That’s the giant planet Jupiter, now brighter than all the stars!

Jupiter’s closest point to Earth for 2027 comes at 15:31 UTC on February 10, 2027. That’s 9:31 a.m. CST. That’s when the distance between the Earth and Jupiter will be at its least for 2027. Jupiter will be 405 million miles (652 million kilometers) from Earth. This translates to 36 light-minutes away from Earth. It’ll also be 497 million miles, or 800 million kilometers, away from the sun

Less than 24 hours later – at 0:21 UTC on February 11, 2026. That’s 6:21 p.m. CST on February 10 – Jupiter will reach opposition, when it’s opposite the sun in our sky. That’ll happen as Earth flies (more or less) between the sun and Jupiter.

So Jupiter is closest to Earth less than a day before we go between it and the sun. Why? Why wouldn’t those two events happen simultaneously?

Simple diagram of orbits of Earth and an outer planet, with sun, Earth, and distant planet lined up. — Opposition happens when Earth flies between an outer planet, like Jupiter, and the sun. Why isn’t Jupiter closest on the day we go between it and the sun? Illustration via Heavens-Above. Used with permission.

Why isn’t Jupiter closest at opposition?

Opposition happens when Earth and Jupiter line up with the sun. But because both planets are moving on curved, slightly tilted paths, the moment of perfect alignment isn’t always the exact moment of closest distance. Earth can pass closest to Jupiter a little before or after opposition, sometimes by just hours, sometimes by a day or two.

When Jupiter reached opposition on September 26, 2022, it was closer to Earth than at any time in about 70 years. That’s because 2022 was a perihelion year for Jupiter — the point in its 12-year orbit when the giant planet was closest to the sun. During that opposition, Jupiter was just 367 million miles (591 million km) from Earth.

So here’s the key idea: it was the close timing between Jupiter’s once-a-year opposition and its once-every-12-years perihelion that produced that unusually close approach in 2022.

Every year since then, as Earth has passed between Jupiter and the sun, the distance between our two planets has been a little greater. That’s because Jupiter has been moving farther from the sun with each passing day since perihelion.

In fact, Jupiter will keep getting farther from the sun until 2028, when it reaches aphelion: the farthest point in its orbit. As a result, in years like 2026, Jupiter’s closest approach comes a day or so before opposition.

After 2028, Jupiter will begin moving closer to the sun again. And then the timing flips: Jupiter’s closest point to Earth will tend to come hours or a day or so after opposition, instead of before.

Animated diagram, small black dot orbiting large blue object in elongated oval path. — Animation of an orbit that’s vastly more elliptical than either Earth’s or Jupiter’s. Still, you get the idea. Perihelion = closest to sun. Aphelion = farthest from sun. Image via Brandir/ Wikimedia Commons.

Bottom line: Jupiter’s closest point to the Earth in 2027 is on February 10. The distance between the sun and Jupiter will be 405 million miles, or 652 million km.

2026 Geocentric ephemeris for Jupiter
2027 Geocentric ephemeris for Jupiter
2028 Geocentric ephemeris for Jupiter

2026 Geocentric ephemeris for sun
2027 Geocentric ephemeris for sun
2028 Geocentric ephemeris for sun

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February 10, 2027

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Astronomy Essentials

Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:

Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.