Neptune at Opposition Sept. 11

On September 11, 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) away. This distance and relative faintness makes the planet a tricky target for observers.
You’ll need binoculars and very dark skies(at least), also 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. Come Visit OCtelescope.com or call 1-888-471-9991 to find the best tools and technology to observe Neptune and all the wonders of the Universe. We also have 10% off our entire Revolution Imager collection this month. It's a great time to learn image stacking with a new imager system!

Clear skies,

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