Jupiter is nearing opposition as August comes to a close, with the giant planet being on the exact opposite side of the sky on December 7 of this year. If you are a casual, late evening observer, check out the planet now while it’s convenient. Apart from the Moon, it will be the brightest object in the evening this month, rivaled only by Saturn which can be seen about ninety degrees farther to the west (right). By the way, it is very easy to follow Jupiter’s four big moons as they orbit the giant planet. Even a fairly small telescope will show these satellites. If you would like to locate the four Galilean moons of Jupiter in you small telescope, I highly recommend this app for your iOS device. It’s free!