Colorado Star Gazers Hope Clouds Cooperate For Friday's Opposition Of Jupiter

DENVER (CBS4) - There will be a treat high in the sky over Colorado Friday evening if the clouds cooperate.

It's the Opposition of Jupiter, meaning that the Sun, Earth and Jupiter will all be aligned.

"The result of that, for us, is that Jupiter will be the closest to Earth that it will be this year," said Jeff Tropeano of the Denver Astronomical Society.

Jupiter's opposition occurs every 13 months.

"The planet will appear very bright in the eastern sky as the sun sets, and it will move into the southern sky through the evening hours before setting in the west," said Tropeano.

As an added bonus, around 9 p.m. Friday all four of Jupiter's Galilean moons will be stacked on the east side of the planet.

"With a steady hand, you can pick up one or two of the moons with a pair of binoculars and all four will be clear with a telescope," said Tropeano.

The Denver Astronomical Society will hold their monthly meeting Friday night at Denver University's Olin Hall.

The general public is welcome to attend.

After the meeting, members and guests will adjourn to the Chamberlin Observatory for a possible view of the Jupiter Opposition.

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.