Planet at opposition · 30 September 2028

Neptune at opposition 2028

Neptune sits opposite the Sun in the sky. It is up all night at its brightest, a faint star for binoculars, with a telescope showing a small blue disc. It will be 4.32 billion km from Earth.

728days 12hours 04minutes 45seconds

Next: Neptune at opposition, 2 October 2029

OppositionSaturday 30 September 2028, 02:31 UTC

See it in 3D ↓

Opposition

02:31 UTC

30 September 2028

Distance

4.32 billion km

28.86 AU

Brightness

Magnitude 7.7

binoculars needed

Size

2.4″

arcseconds across

Constellation

Cetus

where to find it

Closest to Earth

29 September 2028

4317.9 million km

Where and when to look

Neptune rises in the east as the Sun sets, climbs highest around midnight (1 am where clocks are on summer time) and sets in the west at sunrise, so it is up all night. Look for it in Cetus, too faint for the naked eye; binoculars show it as a star.

From	Neptune at its highest
London	40°
New York	51°
Delhi	63°
São Paulo	65°
Sydney	55°

It stays well placed for weeks either side of opposition, rising a few minutes earlier each night.

Through binoculars and telescopes

Binoculars show it as a faint star; a telescope at high power shows a tiny blue disc, 2.4 arcseconds across. Its moon Triton needs a larger telescope.

What is happening

The Earth, on its faster inside track, overtakes Neptune and passes between it and the Sun. Neptune then sits opposite the Sun in our sky, fully lit, and is about as close to us as it gets this time round: 4.32 billion km away.

Neptune comes round to opposition about every year and a few days, a little later each year.

See it in 3D

Neptune, rendered live from today's real positions by our 3D viewer. Press play to load it here, or open the full viewer to fly anywhere in the solar system.

Neptune, rendered by the Our Solar System viewer

Open Neptune in the 3D viewer →

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Questions

When is Neptune at opposition in 2028?

On 30 September 2028 at 02:31 UTC. It is closest to Earth on 29 September 2028.

How bright will Neptune be?

About magnitude 7.7, too faint for the naked eye; binoculars show it as a star.

Where do I look for Neptune?

In Cetus: low in the east at dusk, high in the south around midnight from the Northern Hemisphere (in the north from the Southern Hemisphere), and in the west by dawn.

Can I see Neptune without a telescope?

Not with the naked eye. Binoculars and a finder chart show it as a faint star; a telescope shows its small disc.

When is the next Neptune opposition?

2 October 2029, when it will be 4.32 billion km away.