How to see Uranus in the night sky (without a telescope) this week
By Joe Rao 4 hours ago
NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft captured this image of the planet Uranus on Dec. 18, 1986.
(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Just how many planets are visible without a telescope? Not including our own planet, most people will answer "five" (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn).
Those are the five brightest planets, but in reality, there is a sixth planet that can be glimpsed without the aid of either a telescope or binoculars.
That sixth planet is the planet Uranus. This week will be a fine time to try and seek it out, especially since it is now favorably placed for viewing in our late-evening sky and the bright moon is out of the way.
This sky map shows where Uranus will be located around midnight on Sept. 13-14, as seen from
New York City. Look for it in the constellation of Aries, the ram.This sky map shows where Uranus
will be located around midnight on Sept. 13-14, as seen from New York City. Look for it in the
constellation of Aries, the ram. (Image credit: SkySafari app)
Of course, you'll have to know exactly where to look for it. Astronomers measure the brightness of objects in the night sky as magnitude. Smaller numbers indicate brighter objects, with negative numbers denoting exceptionally bright objects. But Uranus is currently shining at magnitude +5.7, relatively dim on the scale; barely visible by a keen naked eye on very dark, clear nights.
More:
https://www.space.com/uranus-neptune-skywatching-september-2020.html?utm_source=notification
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