I’ve noticed that it seemed to be brighter these last few weeks.
Jupiter is the planet that consistently shows the most detail in amateur telescopes. However, even at high magnification Jupiter will only look about the size of some of the medium sized craters on the Moon. On any given night you'd be able to see a few cloud bands, the 4 Galilean Moons, and maybe the Great Red Spot. Jupiter is easy to find (when visible) as it is among the brightest objects in the night sky.