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Opposition

Uranus at Opposition

Uranus lies opposite the Sun in our sky — closest to Earth, brightest, and visible all night in Taurus.

Your local time

22 May 2026, 19:58

Universal time

22 May 2026, 14:28 UTC

Time since

Partially visible from New Delhi, IndiaTelescope RequiredVisible worldwide where sky conditions allow

At opposition Uranus is directly opposite the Sun as seen from Earth. It rises at sunset, is highest around local midnight and sets at sunrise. This is also close to its minimum distance from Earth, so the planet appears at its largest and brightest for the year — the best time to observe it with a telescope.

Observation details

Visibility
Partially visible
Best viewing time
22 May 2026, 20:28
Direction to look
WNW · azimuth 300°
Altitude at peak
-10.0°
Equipment
Telescope Required
Distance from Earth
20.477 AU
Apparent magnitude
5.8
Constellation
Taurus

The event's peak happens below your horizon, but the same part of the sky reaches -16° later in the night.

New Delhi, India

28.6139°, 77.2090° · default location

Photography & observing tips

  • Observe when the planet is highest, near local midnight, to look through the least atmosphere.
  • Let a telescope cool to ambient temperature for 30 minutes before high-magnification viewing.
  • Planetary imaging works best by recording short video and stacking the sharpest frames.

Other opposition events

The nearest occurrences before and after this one.