"The photo shows Jupiter as well as its moons, from left to right, Ganymede, Europa, Io, and Callisto and was captured on Monday, September 16 near Charlottesville, Virginia. The photo was made possible because Jupiter was sitting at opposition, meaning the Earth was situated directly between Jupiter and the Sun, combined with the fact that the gas giant was as close to Earth as it had been in 59 years and as close as it will be until the year 2139. The result is that the angular size of Jupiter in the sky and the brightness of the planet were both extremely elevated."