March 11, 2021 at 03:00 Moscow time, Neptune will be in conjunction with the Sun and at the greatest distance from the Earth in 2021: 30.919 AU. (4 625 416 564 km). Neptune is not observed near this astronomical event, as it is hidden in bright sunlight.
The conjunction of the outer planets (from Mars to Neptune) is such an arrangement of celestial bodies when their centers are exactly on one straight line, while the Sun is between the Earth and the planet. In conjunction, the planet is behind the Sun and therefore is not visible in the sky of the Earth.
NEPTUNE CONFIGURATIONS FOR 2021:
- March 11 – conjunction with the Sun;
- June 25 – Neptune’s standing (7.9m); transition from direct movement to backward motion;
- September 14 – opposition of the planet (7.8m);
- December 1 – Neptune’s standing (7.9m); transition from backward to forward movement.
All 2021, Neptune is in the constellation Aquarius. The brightness of the planet is +7.9 magnitude (+ 7.9m), i.e. we do not observe Neptune with the eye. During the period of visibility, the planet is observed only through a telescope.
Spring 2021: In March and early April 2021, Neptune is hiding in the rays of the daylight and will be unavailable for observation. In the second half of April, it will be possible to try to find Neptune through a telescope in the morning in the east, very low above the horizon at dusk before sunrise. In May, the planet is visible through a telescope in the morning before sunrise very low above the horizon in the constellation Aquarius. The constellation Aquarius in the spring at night is located very low on the horizon, so at the end of April-May the visibility conditions for Neptune are very bad.
Summer 2021: On short summer nights in June, Neptune is visible through a telescope in the morning, not high above the horizon in the southeast. The brightness of the planet is also 7.9 magnitude. On June 25, 2021, Neptune will switch from the direct motion of the planet across the sky to backward. In July, the planet is visible through a telescope throughout the night, except in the evening hours in the southeast, not very high above the horizon. Neptune is located at this time in the constellation Aquarius. Visibility conditions for Neptune improve in August. The planet is visible through a telescope almost throughout the night, in the southeast, and then in the southern side of the sky.
Fall 2021: In September, Neptune is visible through a telescope throughout the night in the southern sky in the constellation Aquarius. The brightness of the planet is + 7.8m. On September 14, 2021, Neptune will be in opposition to the Sun. This is the best time to observe the planet through a telescope. On autumn October nights, the planet is visible through a telescope in the southern side of the sky during the entire dark period, except for the morning hours. In November, Neptune will be visible through a telescope in the first half of the night and slightly after midnight in the south, and then southwest in the constellation Aquarius.
On December 1, 2021, Neptune will switch from backward motion to forward motion. Neptune will be available for telescope observations in the first half of the night in the southwest in the constellation Aquarius. The brightness of the planet is + 7.9m.