The planet Uranus will reach Solar Conjunction (i.e. be directly on
the other side of the
Sun from the Earth) at 3.03 pm GMT on Wednesday 18 April 2018. This
means that it will both be at its furthest from the Earth this year,
about 20.93 AU (20.93 times the average distance between the Earth and
the
Sun, or about 3 131 000 000 km), and completely obscured by the Sun.
The relative positions of Uranus, the Sun and Earth at Solar Conjunction. Derekscope.
Uranus orbits the Sun at an average distance of 19.2 AU, completing one
orbit around the Sun every 84 years. This means that the planet is
almost stationary compared to the faster moving Earth, so that it
reaches Solar Conjunction only four days later each year than the year
before, and reaches opposition (when it is directly opposite the Sun
seen from the Earth), roughly six months later.
See also...
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