Planets TonightJupiter in 2026: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.7around Jan 1
Closest (in table)4.237 au634 million km
Farthest6.301 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year-2.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-10 17:42 | Opposition | -2.7 | 4.232 | Gemini | 179.7° |
| 2026-07-29 21:17 | Conjunction with the Sun | -1.8 | 6.301 | Cancer | 0.5° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -2.7 | 4.242 | Gemini | 169° W | Most of the night |
| Jan 15 | -2.7 | 4.237 | Gemini | 174° E | Most of the night |
| Feb 1 | -2.6 | 4.313 | Gemini | 155° E | Most of the night |
| Feb 15 | -2.5 | 4.437 | Gemini | 140° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | -2.4 | 4.605 | Gemini | 125° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | -2.3 | 4.805 | Gemini | 111° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | -2.2 | 5.073 | Gemini | 94° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | -2.1 | 5.297 | Gemini | 82° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | -2.0 | 5.546 | Gemini | 68° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | -1.9 | 5.746 | Gemini | 57° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | -1.9 | 5.956 | Gemini | 43° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | -1.8 | 6.096 | Gemini | 33° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.8 | 6.214 | Cancer | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | -1.8 | 6.277 | Cancer | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -1.8 | 6.301 | Cancer | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -1.8 | 6.277 | Cancer | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -1.8 | 6.195 | Cancer | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | -1.8 | 6.086 | Cancer | 36° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | -1.9 | 5.919 | Leo | 48° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.9 | 5.742 | Leo | 60° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -2.0 | 5.498 | Leo | 74° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | -2.1 | 5.281 | Leo | 87° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -2.2 | 5.031 | Leo | 102° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -2.3 | 4.823 | Leo | 116° 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 January 2026 (magnitude -2.7); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.