What is a planet in opposition? Explanation and dates

The best time to see and photograph a planet is when it is at 'opposition'. Find out more and check the key opposition dates for Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

What is a planet in opposition?

All the planets in the Solar System orbit around the Sun. At certain points during these orbits, the Earth finds itself directly between the Sun and another planet. This is the moment at which that planet is said to be 'in opposition'.

When Saturn is in opposition for example, Earth is between the Sun and Saturn. From our vantage point on Earth, Saturn is on the 'opposite' side of the sky to the Sun: when the Sun sets in the west, Saturn appears in the east.

Saturn at opposition (NASA) — Saturn is 'at opposition' when the Earth is directly between the Sun and Saturn (diagram courtesy of NASA)

Only planets that are further out in the Solar System than the Earth can be in opposition: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Because Venus and Mercury are closer to the Sun than the Earth, they can never be in opposition.

Why is a planet in opposition important?

Some of the best times to see planets in the night sky occur when they are at opposition. During opposition the planet appears at its largest and brightest, and it is above the horizon for much of the night. For stargazers and astrophotographers, it's an ideal time to view and photograph the superior planets.

Composite image featuring 7 photos of Mars in decreasing size from the bottom left corner of the image — Mars in 2025 © Tom Williams, shortlisted in ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2026. "This composite image shows several views of Mars after it reached opposition, the point at which Earth was directly between Mars and the Sun," Tom says. "All the images were captured at the same scale, highlighting how quickly the planet decreases in apparent size as it recedes from Earth"

Planet opposition dates

Planetary oppositions for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune occur almost every year, as Earth on its much faster orbit passes between these planets and the Sun.

Mars is slightly different: because Earth and Mars are relatively close together in the Solar System, an opposition of Mars happens roughly every 27 months.

Below are the upcoming dates when planets will be at opposition:

Planet	Date of opposition
Uranus	25 November 2026
Jupiter	11 February 2027
Mars	19 February 2027
Neptune	28 September 2027
Saturn	18 October 2027
Uranus	30 November 2027

How to photograph a planet in opposition

"If you really want to get the best photo of a planet you want to try and aim for when it’s riding really high in the sky and ‘at opposition’," explains Steve Marsh, ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year judge and BBC Sky at Night Magazine art editor.

"You want the air to be nice and still," he adds. "If you can get all those three things combined then you are going to have a really great picture at the end of it."

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from the Royal Observatory Greenwich.