Planets TonightNeptune in 2017: brightness, position and events
Brightest+7.7around Aug 15
Closest (in table)28.940 au4329 million km
Farthest30.941 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year+7.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-03-02 11:43 | Conjunction with the Sun | +7.8 | 30.942 | Aquarius | 0.8° |
| 2017-09-05 14:27 | Opposition | +7.7 | 28.939 | Aquarius | 179.1° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +7.8 | 30.448 | Aquarius | 59° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +7.8 | 30.639 | Aquarius | 45° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | +7.8 | 30.816 | Aquarius | 28° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | +7.8 | 30.906 | Aquarius | 15° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +7.8 | 30.941 | Aquarius | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +7.8 | 30.920 | Aquarius | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +7.8 | 30.822 | Aquarius | 29° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +7.8 | 30.687 | Aquarius | 42° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +7.8 | 30.482 | Aquarius | 57° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +7.8 | 30.271 | Aquarius | 70° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | +7.8 | 29.991 | Aquarius | 87° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +7.8 | 29.756 | Aquarius | 100° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | +7.7 | 29.500 | Aquarius | 115° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | +7.7 | 29.301 | Aquarius | 129° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | +7.7 | 29.107 | Aquarius | 145° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | +7.7 | 28.999 | Aquarius | 159° W | Most of the night |
| Sep 1 | +7.7 | 28.940 | Aquarius | 176° W | Most of the night |
| Sep 15 | +7.7 | 28.956 | Aquarius | 170° E | Most of the night |
| Oct 1 | +7.7 | 29.043 | Aquarius | 154° E | Most of the night |
| Oct 15 | +7.7 | 29.177 | Aquarius | 140° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +7.7 | 29.398 | Aquarius | 123° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +7.7 | 29.616 | Aquarius | 108° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +7.8 | 29.888 | Aquarius | 92° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +7.8 | 30.129 | Aquarius | 78° E | Evening sky |
Computed with the JPL DE421 ephemeris and Skyfield (times in JST). Magnitude and distance are for 12:00 JST on each date. Visibility is a rough guide for mid-northern latitudes such as Japan.
About this page
Neptune is brightest around August 2017 (magnitude +7.7); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.