In an extremely rare occurrence Jupiter the largest planet in the solar system, also known as the “King of planets” has come closest to Earth in 59 years. The planet is approximately 600 million miles away from Earth at its farthest point. But it came as near as 367 million miles on September 26.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Jupiter appears larger and brighter every 13 months than any other time of the year. But this time, the planet made its closest approach to Earth since 1963. This is happening because Earth and Jupiter do not orbit the Sun in perfect circles meaning the planets will pass each other at different distances throughout the year.
From the viewpoint of Earth’s surface, opposition occurs when an astronomical object rises in the east as the sun sets in the west, placing the object and the sun on opposite sides of earth, according to an official statement by NASA.
Jupiter takes over 11 years to complete one revolution around the Sun. As per NASA, this unique arrangement makes it one of the brightest objects in the sky as seen from Earth.
The next time the planet comes this close to the Earth will be 107 years from now in 2129.
Sheikh Hamdan Prince of Dubai, who is fond of photography, has shared one of the most amazing celestial events after capturing the Jupiter through his lens.
Fazza, as he is recognised on socials, captioned the video: “Burj Khalifa meets the king of planets! The planet’s closest strategy to Earth in 59 years.”
The Prince of Dubai also posted a reel on his Instagram, recording the ‘king of the planet’ in the backdrop of the ‘king of buildings’ – the Burj Khalifa.
(With inputs from www.nasa.gov)