{"id":803137,"date":"2026-07-26T06:38:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T11:38:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=803137"},"modified":"2026-07-26T06:38:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T11:38:30","slug":"asteroid-juno-at-its-best-now-around-opposition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=803137","title":{"rendered":"Asteroid Juno at its best now, around opposition"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nThis chart shows the position of Asteroid 3 Juno \u2013 the 3rd asteroid ever to be discovered \u2013 from March to September 2026. Asteroid Juno will be at its brightest around its opposition on July 26, 2026. That\u2019s when it\u2019ll lie opposite the sun as viewed from Earth. It\u2019s a great time for people with telescopes to search for it, as it moves slowly among the stars of the constellation Aquila the Eagle. Image via Guy Ottewell\u2019s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
U.K. astronomer Guy Ottewell published Juno in Aquarius on his website on July 24, 2026. Edits by EarthSky. Reprinted here with permission. Thank you, Guy!<\/em><\/p>\n
Asteroid Juno reaches opposition July 26<\/h3>\n
The large asteroid 3 Juno will be at opposition \u2013 when it\u2019ll lie opposite the sun as viewed from Earth \u2013 on July 26, 2026. All asteroids and planets are brightest around the time of their oppositions, when they lie opposite the sun in our sky. That\u2019s when they are closest to us in their orbits. They also rise around sunset and set around sunrise, so they are visible all night. <\/p>\n
At opposition in 2026, Juno will shine at 9th magnitude. That means it is too dim for the unaided eye to see. But a telescope will reveal this little world, moving among the stars of the constellation Aquila the Eagle. <\/p>\n
And it is theoretically within the reach of powerful binoculars. You\u2019d have to look for Juno on more than one night and note a star<\/em> that moved. <\/p>\n
Juno and the other early asteroids were discovered in that way.<\/p>\n
Juno\u2019s discovery<\/h3>\n
Juno\u2019s official name is 3 Juno, because it was the 3rd asteroid ever to be found. The German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding spied it in the early 1800s, amidst a rush of asteroid discoveries. 1 Ceres was discovered in 1801, 2 Pallas in 1802, 3 Juno in 1804 and 4 Vesta in 1807. <\/p>\n
Of these 1st four, Vesta is brightest. At Vesta\u2019s opposition, it can reach as bright as magnitude 5.1, making it visible to observers with the unaided eye.<\/p>\n
Now astronomers have tracked and documented over 1.5 million individual asteroids. And thousands of asteroids are still discovered each year. Most circulate in the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter. But some asteroids orbit nearer in, and some even cross Earth\u2019s orbit. All are below unaided-eye brightness \u2026 except sometimes 4 Vesta.<\/p>\n
The 1st four asteroids are observable with telescopes or steadily held binoculars each year. And 3 Juno is usually the dimmest of the 1st four. <\/p>\n
Main belt asteroids typically have orbital periods between 3 and 5 years.<\/p>\n
Juno\u2019s oppositions \u2013 unlike that of other asteroids \u2013 always occur near the celestial equator, the imaginary line around our sky directly above Earth\u2019s equator. The chart below explains more about this phenomenon. <\/p>\nShown are Juno\u2019s paths during each retrograde loop, from a month before to a month after opposition. The smooth curve is formed by connecting the points where Juno reaches opposition over successive years. A quirk of geometry keeps asteroid Juno within about 5 degrees of the celestial equator at its oppositions. As a result, Juno is well placed for observers in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Image via Guy Ottewell\u2019s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Bottom line: The asteroid Juno \u2013 officially known as 3 Juno \u2013 will be at its brightest around its opposition on July 26, 2026. It\u2019ll be located among the stars of the constellation Aquila the Eagle.<\/p>\n
Via Universal Workshop<\/p>\n
Source: Guy Ottewell\u2019s 2026 Astronomical Calendar<\/p>\n
Read more: Guy Ottewell honored with an asteroid in his name<\/p>\n
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Guy Ottewell<\/h4>\n
View Articles\n <\/p><\/div>\n
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About the Author:<\/h6>\n
Astronomer, artist and poet Guy Ottewell’s beloved Astronomical Calendar is back! Find the 2024 calendar here: And visit Guy\u2019s website UniversalWorkshop.com or his blog at UniversalWorkshop.com\/Guysblog. Guy’s stories and art are used here with permission, and we are honored to have them. Thank you, Guy! The image shows Guy walking from the Carolina coast to the Blue Ridge mountains one spring (as depicted in Sky & Telescope magazine).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Graph](\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-24-at-10.00.00.png\")