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• And, because it's opposite the sun around now, you can see Jupiter at any time of night. For example - as today's chart shows - you can see it in the south at midnight tonight, when the sun is below your feet. At dawn tomorrow, you'll see Jupiter low in your western sky. At opposition, Jupiter shines at its brightest in our sky.
• You would need at least 80 Jupiters -- rolled into a ball -- to be hot enough inside for thermonuclear reactions to ignite. In other words, Jupiter is not massive enough to shine as stars do. But Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. So when the sun goes down on this early December night, you might -- if you're fanciful enough -- imagine bright Jupiter as a tiny sun all night long.
• Bottom line: Be sure to look for Jupiter on the night of December 2-3, 2012, the night of Jupiter's opposition. The planet shines in front of the constellation Taurus, very near the brightest star in Taurus, Aldebaran. This opposition of Jupiter brings Earth's closest encounter with Jupiter until the year 2021!
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