Uranus Closest to Earth tonight!
You might not need a telescope to spot Uranus tonight. The ice giant planet will reach opposition on Thursday, bringing it to the closest point in its orbit to Earth.
In this position, the blue-green planet will be visible in the sky all night long – and, while you’ll definitely be able to see it with binoculars, NASA says Uranus may even be bright enough to see with the naked eye.
Uranus will appear a blue-green dot in the sky as it reaches opposition on October 19. This means the icy planet and the sun will sit on opposite sides of Earth. During this time, it will be visible in the constellation Pisces.
‘It’s visible all night long and its blue-green color is unmistakable,’ according to Jane Houston Jones from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
‘It may be bright enough to see with your naked eye – and for sure in binoculars.’
The view of Uranus is just one of many celestial phenomena that can be seen from the ground this month, including a meteor shower. Saturn will make an appearance in just a few days, sitting above the moon on October 23rd, and below it on the 24th, according to NASA. And on Friday October 20th, the Orionid meteor shower will reach its peak.
THE ORIONIDS
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