Section updated: Jan. 5th, 2026.
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On the evening of Saturday, the 10th of January, FAU's Astronomical Observatory will be celebrating Jupiter's Opposition to the Sun. This is a, public viewing, open dome event to come together and explore the king of the planets, JUPITER.
Date: Saturday, Jan. 10th – Sunday Jan. 11th, 2026 Time: 7:00 pm until 1:00 am. Activities: Presentations about Jupiter, its moons and Juno, the next planetary probe mission to Jupiter, and observations of the Jovian system! |
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Details: On Jan.10th at 0319 EST, the Earth will have moved in its orbit to perfectly place the planet Jupiter at the sky's opposition to the Sun. This means that outer planet will appear to be in the directly opposite direction of the sky from the Sun, hence the name of "opposition". This happens when the Earth gets directly in line between the outer planet and the Sun. Such perfect celestial alignments are called syzygies. We'll be as close as we can be to the planet for this orbital pass and providing us with the best telescopic views of the planet for the year! Presentations: The presentation that will talk about Jupiter and its moons, will lead into a discussion about the Formation of the Solar System and the problems with the formation theory, discuss some of the newer exciting theories coming around, including the new theorized “planet nine” that lurks far off in the solar system and almost in the Oort cloud and finally talk about NASA's Juno spacecraft, which may help not only answer some of these questions but even give us more clues about the formation of our own home planet. This is a combined FAU Astronomical Observatory and a NASA’s JPL Solar System Ambassador volunteer event. The Solar System Ambassadors Program of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory offers information and excitement about real missions that explore our solar system. Volunteer ambassadors in communities throughout the country are selected by JPL based on their backgrounds and on their plans for public outreach activities. JPL provides ambassadors with educational materials and training. However, the opinions of Ambassadors are not necessarily those of NASA or JPL. Further information about the Solar System Ambassadors Program is available at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif. So, you are welcome to come to the Observatory to celebrate and observe the planet at its perihelion opposition with us, while pondering some of the astronomical mysteries that the great planet presents to us, such as how did our planets come to exist, that are connected with Jupiter. This invitation is open to anyone from FAU, the community, their friends and family to come and enjoy. After all, it is all of our universe, too! |
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During this night of the shortest season of the year, we will have all of the giant planets will be available to view! The Moon will be the merest of slivers possible for the early evening. We’ll have the planetary nebulae of “Blue Snowball” (NGC 7662) in Andromeda, NGC 1360 in Fornax and NGC 2392 in Gemini. And to the south, we may be able to see the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253), which is 10 million light years away, and above and closer in, the Andromeda Galaxy, at 2.2 million light-years away, M33 the Triangulum Galaxy at 3.0 Mly away, and the globular cluster M15 in Pegasus. We’ll have the at M45 the Pleiades open cluster. And can see Orion’s Great Nebula and try once again to see if we can enter “Cluster 37” or just look in from the outside. Plus, there will be M35 Gemini’s great open cluster.
During the early evening, an edge on ringed Saturn will have all its moons appear at its side. We’ll spy on the sky-blue planet Neptune and have a chance to see Neptune’s moon Triton. While the pale aqua planet Uranus will be seen near the Pleiades. Its spin axis is obliquely tilted over by 98° from the ecliptic plane. Because angular momentum is conserved, its axis always points out in the same direction in space. But now in its 84 year orbit, the planet has traveled around the Sun so that its north pole is oriented back at the Sun and us as well. So, when we observe it, we’ll be looking right upon its north pole.
Jupiter will be bright and easy to see overhead which will be south of Castor and Pollux in Gemini.
