Image created by Jake Parks using StarDome.
Although Jupiter reached opposition and peak visibility in early May, it remains a conspicuous object from evening twilight until it sets around 9:30 p.m. local daylight time.
Jupiter shines at magnitude –1.9 and dominates the southwestern sky after Venus sets around 8:30 p.m.
The gas giant resides among the background stars of Libra the Scales; this evening, it lies 4° due east of Zubenelgenubi (Alpha [α] Librae). If you view the planet through a telescope, its disk spans 34″ and displays stunning cloud-top detail.
Jupiter temporarily shares the sky tonight with three other bright planets: Venus, Mars, and Saturn. Venus sits low in the west-southwest shortly after sunset, Jupiter hovers in the southwest, Saturn lies to the south, and Mars appears near the southeastern horizon.
