Bright Jupiter appears in the evening sky during early Spring. It rises in the eastern sky about an hour after sunset during late March. This giant planet reaches opposition, rising in the eastern sky at sunset, on April 7. It appears in the sky all night, setting in the west as the sun rises in the east.
Jupiter appears near Spica, a bluish star about 5 degrees to its lower right. Jupiter is appearing near Spica throughout the year until it disappears into sun’s brightness in October.
As Jupiter rises, the bright golden-orange star Arcturus appears farther to the left (north) in the eastern sky. The pair is separated by about 30 degrees.
Jupiter is brightest among the three celestial sights. It is 10 times brighter than Arcturus and nearly 25 times brighter than Spica.
For more information about current sky events, see these articles: