Thursday 13 April 2017

Uranus reaches Solar Conjunction.

The planet Uranus will reach Solar Conjunction (i.e. be directly on the other side of the Sun from the Earth) at  5.33 am GMT on Friday 14 April 2017. 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...

http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/storm-season-on-uranus.html









Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.