Planet at opposition · 30 November 2027

Uranus at opposition 2027

Uranus sits opposite the Sun in the sky. It is up all night at its brightest, a faint star for binoculars from a dark site. It will be 2.75 billion km from Earth.

423days 18hours 40minutes 45seconds

Next: Uranus at opposition, 3 December 2028

OppositionTuesday 30 November 2027, 09:07 UTC

See it in 3D ↓

Opposition

09:07 UTC

30 November 2027

Distance

2.75 billion km

18.37 AU

Brightness

Magnitude 5.6

visible to the eye

Size

3.8″

arcseconds across

Constellation

Taurus

where to find it

Where and when to look

Uranus 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 Taurus, at the limit of the naked eye, visible only from a dark site.

From	Uranus at its highest
London	60°
New York	71°
Delhi	83°
São Paulo	45°
Sydney	35°

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

Through binoculars and telescopes

In binoculars it looks like a star; a telescope at high power shows a tiny pale green disc, 3.8 arcseconds across.

What is happening

The Earth, on its faster inside track, overtakes Uranus and passes between it and the Sun. Uranus then sits opposite the Sun in our sky, fully lit, and is about as close to us as it gets this time round: 2.75 billion km away.

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

See it in 3D

Uranus, 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.

Uranus, rendered by the Our Solar System viewer

Open Uranus in the 3D viewer →

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Questions

When is Uranus at opposition in 2027?

On 30 November 2027 at 09:07 UTC.

How bright will Uranus be?

About magnitude 5.6, at the limit of the naked eye, visible only from a dark site.

Where do I look for Uranus?

In Taurus: 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 Uranus without a telescope?

Yes. It is at the limit of the naked eye, visible only from a dark site. A finder chart helps tell it from the stars.

When is the next Uranus opposition?

3 December 2028, when it will be 2.74 billion km away.