Jupiter to make closest approach with Earth in 59 years while it's in opposition

NASA reports that Jupiter will come within 367 million miles of Earth on Monday, marking the closest approach since 1963.

Why it is important: This event will coincide with the gas giant’s "opposition," when the gas giant orbits to the other side of Earth from Sun. It will be brighter and larger than any other time of the year.

• Jupiter is expected to be the brightest object in the sky during clear weather.

What they're saying: People should be able to see three or four of Jupiter's Galilean moons with binoculars, Adam Kobelski, a research astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said earlier this month.

• With a 4 inch-or-larger telescope, viewers should also be able to see Jupiter’s Great Red Spot and bands.
• “It’s important to remember that Galileo observed these moons with 17th century optics. Kobelski said that a stable mount is essential for any system.

NASA stated that Jupiter is closest to Earth's opposition every 13 months. However, it rarely reaches opposition during its closest approach.

• NASA says Jupiter can approach Earth closer than usual because they don't orbit the Sun in perfect circles. This means that they "pass each other at different distances throughout a year."
• Jupiter is approximately 600 million miles from Earth at its furthest point.

The big picture: NASA's Juno spacecraft is set to fly within 222 miles (358 kilometers) of the surface of Jupiter’s icy, Europa, on Thursday, NASA said last week.

• The moon is a great place to look for potential life in the solar systems beyond Earth. Its subsurface ocean may be habitable.
• Juno is expected to obtained the highest-resolution images ever taken of portions of Europa’s ice crust while collecting data on the composition of its surface and interior.

Get to the bottom:NASA is about crashing a spacecraft into a meteorite

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include additional background.