Planets TonightJupiter in 2016: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.5around Mar 1
Closest (in table)4.442 au665 million km
Farthest6.450 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year-2.6
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-03-08 19:56 | Opposition | -2.5 | 4.435 | Leo | 178.5° |
| 2016-09-26 15:59 | Conjunction with the Sun | -1.7 | 6.454 | Virgo | 1.1° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -2.1 | 5.047 | Leo | 107° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -2.3 | 4.843 | Leo | 121° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -2.4 | 4.636 | Leo | 139° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -2.4 | 4.514 | Leo | 155° W | Most of the night |
| Mar 1 | -2.5 | 4.444 | Leo | 172° W | Most of the night |
| Mar 15 | -2.5 | 4.442 | Leo | 172° E | Most of the night |
| Apr 1 | -2.4 | 4.519 | Leo | 154° E | Most of the night |
| Apr 15 | -2.4 | 4.641 | Leo | 139° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | -2.2 | 4.832 | Leo | 122° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | -2.1 | 5.031 | Leo | 109° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | -2.0 | 5.293 | Leo | 93° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | -1.9 | 5.512 | Leo | 81° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.9 | 5.753 | Leo | 67° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | -1.8 | 5.946 | Leo | 56° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | -1.7 | 6.148 | Leo | 43° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | -1.7 | 6.280 | Virgo | 32° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.7 | 6.393 | Virgo | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | -1.7 | 6.443 | Virgo | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -1.7 | 6.450 | Virgo | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -1.7 | 6.412 | Virgo | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -1.7 | 6.311 | Virgo | 28° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | -1.7 | 6.185 | Virgo | 39° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -1.8 | 5.999 | Virgo | 52° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -1.8 | 5.806 | Virgo | 64° W | Morning sky |
Computed with the JPL DE421 ephemeris and Skyfield (times in JST). Magnitude and distance are for 12:00 JST on each date. Visibility is a rough guide for mid-northern latitudes such as Japan.
About this page
Jupiter is brightest around March 2016 (magnitude -2.5); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.