Sep 11, 2020

Neptune at Opposition 2020

Planetary Event

At opposition, Neptune, the Earth and the Sun are almost aligned in that order. This makes the deep blue giant one of the most exciting targets to observe this year.

Neptune, a beautiful planet with a vivid blue colour, photographed by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft. Image: NASA/JPL.

At this time, the whole face of the planet turned towards Earth is lit by the Sun. The planet will be brighter than at any other time of the year and stays in the sky all night long: it rises at sunset, is highest at midnight and sets at sunrise.

However, even at its best position, Neptune is still too far away to be seen with the naked eye. At a distance of about 4.3 billion km, Neptune only appears as a small blue dot through a telescope.

The world’s best telescopes provide the most beautiful images of this planet.

Neptune through NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

This is the perfect time to observe and photograph Neptune, a mysterious giant with the fastest winds in the Solar System. Even though it only appears as a tiny blue dot through a telescope, watching this planet is a memorable experience for anyone who loves astronomy.