The planet Neptune
© NASA/Voyager 2
Finder chart
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From Cambridge , Neptune is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 19:11 (EDT) as the dusk sky fades, 24° above your south-eastern horizon. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 22:21, 41° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 01:54, 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: | 7.83 (V) [1] |
| Absolute mag (H): | -6.87 [1] |
| Slope parameter (n): | 2.00 [1] |
| Right ascension: | 23h10m [1] |
| Declination: | -06°25' [1] |
| Distance: | 29.10 AU 242.03 lightmin [1] |
Orbital Elements [1]
| Semi-major axis: | 30.27 AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0.006851 |
| Inclination: | 1.77° |
| Longitude ascending node: | 131.80° |
| Argument of perihelion: | 225.27° |
| Epoch of elements: | 15 January 1985 |
| Mean Anomaly at epoch: | -84.81° |
Derived quantities
| Perihelion: | 30.07 AU |
| Aphelion: | 30.48 AU |
| Orbital period: | 166.58 years |
Source
| [1] | Robin M. Green, Spherical Astronomy, 1985, ISBN 0-521-31779-7 |
Events
| 27 Jan 2020 | – Close approach of Venus and Neptune |
| 11 Sep 2020 | – Neptune at opposition |
| 14 Sep 2021 | – Neptune at opposition |
| 27 Apr 2022 | – Close approach of Venus and Neptune |
| 16 Sep 2022 | – Neptune at opposition |
| 19 Sep 2023 | – Neptune at opposition |
| 29 Apr 2024 | – Close approach of Mars and Neptune |
| 04 May 2024 | – Close approach of the Moon and Neptune |
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