July 29, 2026: Jupiter reaches solar conjunction and begins a new morning apparition. Learn when the Jovian Giant returns to view and the key events of its next observing cycle.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:39 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:15 p.m. CDT. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Venus as an Evening Star
Jupiter at Conjunction
Jupiter is in conjunction with the sun today. The event is not observable because it occurs while the Jovian Giant is on the far side of the sun. From Earth, Jupiter and the sun appear in nearly the same direction in the sky. It signals the end of the last apparition (appearance) and the beginning of a new observing cycle.
Jupiter rises earlier each morning before sunrise and begins to emerge from bright morning twilight by mid-August. Unlike most bright stars and planets, Jupiter is bright enough to be located low in the sky when it first returns to view.
Jupiter with Moon
The first noteworthy observing event of the new apparition occurs on September 8, when the thin crescent moon, 9% illuminated and showing earthshine, is 3.9° to Jupiter’s upper right.
The first major planetary event of the apparition is a Jupiter-Mars conjunction on November 16.
As the solar conjunction occurs, Jupiter begins a new apparition in the eastern morning sky. During the coming weeks, the planet climbs higher before sunrise as it returns to prominence in the predawn sky. The Jovian Giant continues climbing higher into the morning sky through autumn, leading to increasingly favorable observing conditions.
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