Earth will sweep between the sun and Neptune at 11 UTC on September 19, 2023, inserting the distant planet reverse the sun in our sky.
Neptune at opposition in 2023
When and the place to look at in 2023: Neptune emerged within the east earlier than dawn by April 2023 and was seen in good binoculars or a telescope within the morning sky by way of August. By the point of its September 19 opposition, Neptune is rising within the east at sundown and visual all evening. For the remainder of 2023, Neptune is up within the night. It stays seen in good binoculars or a telescope within the night sky by way of February of 2024.
Opposition for Neptune will fall at 11 UTC (6 a.m. CDT) on September 19, 2022. To catch it in darkish skies, many locations ought to look in a single day on September 18-19.
Constellation at opposition: Neptune is in entrance of the constellation Pisces the Fish.
Brightness at opposition: The eighth planet shines at magnitude +7.8.
Distance from Earth: Neptune is at its least distance from Earth for 2023, 240 light-minutes or 28.9 AU from Earth on September 19.
By means of a telescope: By means of a telescope, Neptune seems 2.3 arcseconds throughout. Neptune’s brightest moon, Triton, is seen in medium-size telescopes.
By means of binoculars: By means of binoculars, Neptune will seem as a star-like object if you realize the place to seek out it.
Word: Opposition marks the center of the very best time of 12 months to see an outer planet. Neptune reaches a yearly most in brightness at or close to opposition. From mid-July to mid-November, Neptune can be at its brightest but it surely received’t be seen to the unaided eye. Consider us on Earth, sweeping between the sun and Neptune in our smaller, quicker orbit. Across the identical time as Neptune reaches opposition, additionally it is making its closest method to Earth.
For exact sun and Neptune rising occasions at your location:
Old Farmer’s Almanac (U.S. and Canada)
timeanddate.com (worldwide).
Stellarium (on-line planetarium program)
How typically is Neptune at opposition?
Neptune is the eighth planet from our sun. A 12 months on Neptune is 165 Earth years lengthy. As a result of Neptune’s orbit across the sun is so gigantic, and since Earth whips across the sun so shortly as compared, Neptune’s opposition date comes just a few days later every year.
2023 Neptune opposition – September 19
2024 Neptune opposition – September 20
2025 Neptune opposition – September 23
Neptune occasions in 2023
March 15, 2023: Neptune at solar conjunction
June 30, 2023: Neptune begins retrograde movement
September 1, 2023: Lunar occultation of Neptune
September 19, 2023: Neptune at opposition
View from above the solar system, September 2023
You want optical help to see Neptune
Planets are brightest when at opposition. However Neptune, the eighth planet, isn’t actually brilliant. It’s the one main solar system planet that’s by no means seen to the unaided eye. This world is about 5 occasions fainter than the dimmest star you possibly can see on a moonless evening beneath dark skies. You’ll want binoculars or a telescope for Neptune, plus an in depth sky chart.
As a result of we’re roughly between Neptune and the sun round opposition, Neptune is rising within the east across the time of sundown, climbing highest up for the evening round midnight and setting within the west round dawn. As considered from Earth now, this world is in entrance of the constellation Pisces the Fish and close to the planet Saturn.
Even with optical help, Neptune could appear to be a faint star. You might want to amplify Neptune by about 200 occasions and have a steady night of seeing to view this distant world as a small disk.
Backside line: Neptune at opposition – when it’s 180 levels from the sun on the sky’s dome – comes early on September 19, 2023. You want optical help to identify it and lots of locations will see it attain opposition in a single day on September 18-19.
See also: Geocentric Ephemeris for the Sun: 2023
See also: Geocentric Ephemeris for Neptune: 2023
