What does opposition mean for an outer planet?

What’s Happening

Let’s talk about Opposition is when Earth passes directly between the sun and an outer planet, placing the outer planet on the opposite side of the sky from the sun.

The post What does opposition mean for an outer planet? Science news, solid photos, sky alerts. (wild, right?)

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The Details

You might have heard that opposition is the best time of year to observe a planet. And which planets have oppositions?

In astronomy, opposition means a planet is opposite the sun as viewed from Earth. So, for example, the planets with orbits inside Earths orbit (Mercury and Venus) cant be in opposition.

Why This Matters

But the planets orbiting outside Earths orbit (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) all can. Once each year, we pass between them and the sun in our smaller, faster orbit. If the sun is setting in the west, and Jupiter is rising in the east, then Jupiter is at opposition.

Scientists and researchers are watching this development closely.

Key Takeaways

• Earth is passing between the sun and Jupiter, which will, so, take all night to cross our sky.
• At opposition, a planet is easiest to observe because its generally closest to Earth and visible throughout the night.
• The sun is in the center of the diagram.
• Earth is a little way out, and Saturn farther still.

The Bottom Line

At opposition, Earth is in the middle of a line between an outer planet and the sun, and we see the sun at one end of our sky and the opposition planet in the opposite direction. It’s as if you’re standing directly between two friends as you chat in the supermarket, and you need to turn your head halfway around to see one and then the other.

Are you here for this or nah?