Planets TonightJupiter in 2018: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.5around May 1
Closest (in table)4.403 au659 million km
Farthest6.342 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year-2.5
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-05-09 09:39 | Opposition | -2.5 | 4.400 | Libra | 178.7° |
| 2018-11-26 15:33 | Conjunction with the Sun | -1.7 | 6.347 | Scorpius | 0.7° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -1.8 | 5.956 | Libra | 54° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -1.9 | 5.759 | Libra | 66° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -2.0 | 5.495 | Libra | 81° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -2.0 | 5.268 | Libra | 94° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -2.1 | 5.044 | Libra | 107° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -2.3 | 4.836 | Libra | 121° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -2.4 | 4.624 | Libra | 139° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -2.5 | 4.495 | Libra | 154° W | Most of the night |
| May 1 | -2.5 | 4.413 | Libra | 171° W | Most of the night |
| May 15 | -2.5 | 4.403 | Libra | 173° E | Most of the night |
| Jun 1 | -2.5 | 4.469 | Libra | 155° E | Most of the night |
| Jun 15 | -2.4 | 4.581 | Libra | 140° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | -2.3 | 4.760 | Libra | 124° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | -2.2 | 4.950 | Libra | 111° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | -2.1 | 5.203 | Libra | 95° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | -2.0 | 5.418 | Libra | 83° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.9 | 5.670 | Libra | 68° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | -1.9 | 5.860 | Libra | 57° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | -1.8 | 6.048 | Libra | 44° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.8 | 6.179 | Libra | 33° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -1.8 | 6.291 | Libra | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | -1.7 | 6.339 | Libra | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -1.7 | 6.342 | Scorpius | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -1.8 | 6.300 | Ophiuchus | 15° 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 May 2018 (magnitude -2.5); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.