The planet Neptune
© NASA/Voyager 2
Finder chart
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From Washington , Neptune is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 19:44 (MDT) as the dusk sky fades, 33° above your south-eastern horizon. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 22:25, 47° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 02:16, when it sinks below 21° above your south-western horizon.
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|
Name
Neptune
|
Object Type
Superior Planet
|
Current Position
| Constellation: | Aquarius |
| Magnitude: | 7.84 (V) [1] |
| Absolute mag (H): | -6.87 [1] |
| Slope parameter (n): | 2.00 [1] |
| Right ascension: | 23h18m [2] |
| Declination: | -05°42' [2] |
| Distance: | 29.24 AU 243.15 lightmin [2] |
Orbital Elements [2]
| Semi-major axis: | 30.07 AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0.008586 |
| Inclination: | 1.77° |
| Longitude ascending node: | 131.72° |
| Argument of perihelion: | -86.75° |
| Epoch of elements: | 01 January 2000 |
| Mean Anomaly at epoch: | 259.91° |
Derived quantities
| Perihelion: | 29.81 AU |
| Aphelion: | 30.33 AU |
| Orbital period: | 164.88 years |
Sources
| [1] | Robin M. Green, Spherical Astronomy, 1985, ISBN 0-521-31779-7 |
| [2] | Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac. 1992. K. P. Seidelmann, Ed., p.316 |
Visibility from Washington
All times shown in Washington local time.
Events
| 10 Mar 2021 | – Neptune at solar conjunction |
| 14 Sep 2021 | – Neptune at opposition |
| 13 Mar 2022 | – Neptune at solar conjunction |
| 16 Sep 2022 | – Neptune at opposition |
| 15 Mar 2023 | – Neptune at solar conjunction |
| 01 Sep 2023 | – Lunar occultation of Neptune |
| 19 Sep 2023 | – Neptune at opposition |
| 19 Dec 2023 | – Lunar occultation of Neptune |
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