Look up to see an incredibly bright Jupiter this month. Tonight, in fact, the gaseous planet and Earth are closer than they will be for another 12 years. As you know, Jupiter is farther away from the Sun than the Earth, with, of course, a much longer orbit (a year on Jupiter is nearly 12 times longer than here). Every so often, we pass it on the inside orbit. We reach that point tonight, and a little geometry (don’t freak out) tells us that at this point Jupiter must be directly on the other side of us as the Sun. That means that Jupiter rises just as the Sun is setting, so look toward the east a little after 7:30 p.m. — though you’ll get the best view around midnight when it’s at zenith (straight up). At an apparent magnitude of almost -2.5, even the nearby waxing gibbous moon won’t drown it out. Part of that brightness isn’t just its proximity; Space.com tells us that the disappearance of one of Jupiter’s brown cloud bands is making the planet four percent brighter. Planet observing lottery!

>> Speaking of the moon, did you know Saturday was International Observe the Moon Night? Well don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere. Check that thing out!

>> Been planning that trip north to see the aurora? Save yourself from Icelandic breakfasts of pickled herring or a death-defying Ice Road Trucker excursion and just click over to the Canadian Space Agency’s AuroraMAX website. DCist reader (and space fan) Brian Knight tipped us off that they’ll be live-streaming images tonight through the rest of aurora season (around May) from Yellowknife. You can also browse photos and video from previous nights.