While it won't exactly be a stone's throw away, Jupiter is expected to get closer to Earth on Monday than it's been in 59 years.
- The gas planet will be at opposition, which means it will position itself in such a way that Earth will be directly between the gas giant and the sun, says NASA official Trina L. Ray. That will leave about 367 million miles between Earth and Jupiter, Ray says. Normally, about 600 million miles separate the two planets. Although Jupiter is in opposition approximately every 13 months, it hasn't gotten this close to Earth since 1963, according to NASA.
- That's good news for stargazers, who should be able to see the bands around Jupiter and a few of its moons with just a pair of binoculars, says Rice University astronomer Patrick Hartigan.