Key Takeaways:
- Neptune reached opposition at 9:00 A.M. EDT, rendering it visible throughout the night.
- Neptune, at magnitude 7.7, is not visible to the unaided eye but can be located 2.7° northeast of Saturn using optical aids; both are observable with binoculars or telescopes.
- Observed through a telescope, Neptune's disk appears 2” wide at a distance of 2.68 billion miles (4.32 billion kilometers) from Earth, exhibiting a blue-gray, star-like appearance.
- Saturn's proximity facilitates the identification of Neptune due to a lack of similarly bright stars in the immediate vicinity.
The solar system’s most distant planet, Neptune, is at opposition this morning at 9 A.M. EDT. Like Saturn, it is visible all night, passing highest in the hours around local midnight.
The easiest way to locate Neptune is to find Saturn, the brightest point of light in the southeastern sky around 10 or 11 P.M. local daylight time. At magnitude 7.7, Neptune is not visible to the naked eye but can be located with optical aid just 2.7° northeast of Saturn. The pair is visible together in binoculars, or you can zoom in on the individual worlds one at a time with a telescope.
Neptune’s disk now appears 2” wide, thanks to the planet’s huge distance from Earth of 2.68 billion miles (4.32 billion kilometers). Through a telescope, it should look like a “flat,” blue-gray star. There are no stars of similar magnitude close nearby, so the planet should be relatively easy to pick out, especially given its proximity to Saturn.
Sunrise: 6:49 A.M.
Sunset: 6:55 P.M.
Moonrise: 8:36 A.M.
Moonset: 7:33 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (3%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.
