Jupiter
Best time to see: 1 January, 19:40 UT
Altitude: 49°
Location: Aries
Direction: South
Features: Complex atmosphere, Galilean moons
Recommended equipment: 75mm or larger telescope
Jupiter is well placed at the start of January, able to reach its highest altitude under dark-sky conditions. Shining at mag. –2.4, the planet presents a disc full of detail with an apparent diameter of 43 arcseconds. A small telescope shows it as a slightly oval disc, the gas giant's rapid spin – completing one rotation
