Neptune at Opposition Sept. 10th
On September 10, Neptune reaches opposition, when it is 180 degrees from the sun in our sky. In other words, Earth passes more or less between Neptune and the sun.
Opposition is a special event. When any planet outside of Earth’s orbit is at or near opposition, Earth comes closest to that planet for the year, and that planet, in turn, shines most brightly in our sky. Even at opposition, however, Neptune, the eighth planet, is not bright. In fact, Neptune is the only major solar system planet that’s absolutely not visible to the unaided eye. This world is about five times fainter than the dimmest star that you can see on an inky black night.
Neptune lodges in the outskirts of our solar system approximately 2.7 billion miles (4.3 billion km). This distance and relative faintness makes the planet a tricky target for observers.
You’ll need binoculars (at least) and a detailed sky chart to see Neptune in front of the constellation Aquarius.
We recommend using a larger telescope that can maximize your ability to catch light from faint objects such as Neptune. The Celestron Evolution 9.25" is an ideal tool to observe the opposition and comes with some of the best technology on the market to find and track Neptune in the most simple way possible. See our HUGE sale on all 9.25" telescopes here.
