Jupiter stands approximately 4.5° due south of the waxing gibbous Moon back in 2012. In this image you can see the four Galilean satellites forming a line from our perspective as they orbit the giant planet. Starting at the bottom, they are Ganymede, Europa, Io (all below Jupiter), and Callisto. (Two-image mosaic with both through a Canon 60D DSLR, 300mm Sigma lens at f/5.4, ISO 400, 2-second exposure for Jupiter and 1/400-second exposure for the Moon, taken January 2, 2012, at 8:50 p.m. CST, from Cosby, Missouri)
The pretty pair stands nearly 10° above the horizon an hour after sunset and sets shortly after the last vestiges of twilight fades away.
Jupiter shines quite bright – at magnitude –1.8 – among the background stars of Libra the Scales. Although it is the brightest point of light in the sky, it lies too low to show much detail through a telescope.
