Planetary Oppositions 2025-2026: Next Up Is Jupiter!
The next planet to reach opposition will be Jupiter — mark your calendar for January 10, 2026. Also, don't miss the opposition of Psyche on December 8, 2025 — the asteroid will be visible through powerful binoculars. With the Sky Tonight app, you can easily find Jupiter, Psyche, or any other object in your sky. Read this article to learn more about oppositions and find out the best dates to see planets and asteroids.
Contents
- What does opposition mean in astronomy?
- Planetary oppositions
- Upcoming planetary oppositions
- Other upcoming oppositions
- F.A.Q.
- Planet oppositions: Bottom line
What does opposition mean in astronomy?
Astronomical opposition means that a planet appears directly opposite the Sun in the sky as seen from Earth. From our perspective, this corresponds to a planet being about 180 degrees away from the Sun — so when the Sun sets in the west, the planet rises in the east. In addition to planets, comets, asteroids, and some other Solar System objects can also reach opposition. A well-known example of opposition is a Full Moon. During this event, the lunar disk is opposed to the Sun, therefore fully lit by the star’s light.
Planetary oppositions
Next opposition: Jupiter (January 10, 2026)
Jupiter will reach opposition on January 10, 2026, at 08:34 GMT (03:34 EST). The planet will appear at its brightest (mag -2.7) and will be easily visible to the naked eye. To quickly locate Jupiter in the sky, use the free Sky Tonight app.
What planets can be seen at opposition from the Earth?
Since an opposition can only occur when the Earth is between the Sun and another celestial body, this event happens for the planets further from the Sun than the Earth. These are Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
The planets’ oppositions occur roughly every year when the Earth reaches the proper configuration with them relative to the Sun. The only exception here is Mars. The Red Planet’s orbit and orbital speed are similar to the Earth’s, so the Earth “outraces” Mars only about every 25–26.5 months. That’s why Mars oppositions occur only once in about two or three years. Mercury and Venus are located inside the Earth’s orbit, so we’ll never see them at opposition.
How to find a planet at opposition?
To find a planet at opposition, look in the opposite direction from the sunset. The planet will be well-placed for a few weeks around the exact moment of opposition. So, check a weather forecast for your location, find a date close to the opposition when the skies are clear, and get outside to observe the bright planet.
You can easily locate and identify a planet using a stargazing app like Sky Tonight:
- To locate your desired planet, use the app's search function. Tap the magnifier icon in the bottom-left corner of the main screen and type the object’s name in the search bar. Tap the blue target button next to the matching result, and then tap the blue compass button in the lower right corner of the screen. Move your device in the direction of the white arrow until you see the planet on the screen. This is the direction in which you will find the planet in the real sky above you.
- To identify any bright dot in the sky, launch the app and point your device at the sky. On the app’s interactive sky map, you’ll see what celestial objects are in that direction. You can tap the object to learn its name and tap its name for more information.
At opposition, you can spot most of the planets with the naked eye, but you’ll see them even better through a pair of binoculars or a telescope. For instance, with a small 4-inch telescope, you should be able to observe Saturn’s rings, including the Cassini Division between them.
Why are planetary oppositions interesting?
Opposition is the best time to observe a planet or another celestial body. At that time, objects are fully illuminated by the Sun and shine brightly in the sky. Moreover, planetary oppositions occur near a planet’s closest approach to the Earth, when a planet appears at its biggest. Mars experiences the most striking size change because it’s the closest superior planet to the Earth. Most importantly, an opposition gives us plenty of time for stargazing! A celestial object is seen through the night and well-placed in the midnight sky. It is no coincidence that asteroids and other faint Solar System objects are often discovered at their opposition.
Upcoming planetary oppositions
The complete calendar of all the planetary and other celestial events is available in the stargazing app Sky Tonight.
January 10, 2026: Jupiter opposition
Jupiter will be in opposition to the Sun on January 10, 2026, at 08:34 GMT. The planet will shine brilliantly at a magnitude of -2.7. You’ll find Jupiter in the constellation Gemini, where it will rise in the east at sunset and remain visible all night, reaching its highest point around midnight local time.
Even without optical aid, Jupiter will be a dazzling sight. Through binoculars or a small telescope, you’ll be able to spot its four largest moons — Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto — which appear as tiny points of light lined up near the planet. A telescope will also reveal Jupiter’s striped cloud bands.
At opposition, Jupiter will come closest to Earth for 2026 — at a distance of about 4.23 astronomical units. Its disk will appear especially large, measuring 45.6 arcseconds across, offering excellent conditions for detailed observation.
September 26, 2026: Neptune opposition
Neptune will reach opposition on September 26, 2026, at 01:28 GMT (September 25, 2026, 21:28 EDT). Though the giant planet will shine at its brightest (mag 7.8), it will still be far too faint to see without optical aid. You can still try to spot it through binoculars or a small telescope. You’ll find Neptune in the constellation Pisces, where it will rise in the east at sunset and remain visible for much of the night, reaching its highest point around midnight local time.
At opposition, Neptune will be at its closest to Earth in 2026 (28.9 AU), offering the most favorable viewing conditions of the year. Even then, its apparent diameter will remain tiny — only about 2.4 arcseconds across — meaning that sharp focus and dark skies are essential for a good view.
October 4, 2026: Saturn opposition
Saturn will reach opposition on October 4, 2026, at 12:21 GMT (08:21 EDT). At this time, Saturn will shine at a magnitude of 0.3, making it an easy target for the naked eye. The ringed planet will lie in the constellation Cetus, rising in the east around sunset and remaining visible for much of the night. It will reach its highest point near midnight local time.
If you have a telescope, you can see Saturn’s iconic ring system — even a modest instrument will show the rings clearly separated from the planet’s disk. Under good viewing conditions, a telescope can also reveal Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, along with several fainter satellites.
At opposition, Saturn will be at its closest to Earth for 2026 (8.43 AU), and its apparent diameter will reach 19.7 arcseconds, offering excellent conditions for observing the planet and its rings.
Other upcoming oppositions
Not only planets, but also comets, asteroids, and other bodies in the Solar System, can reach opposition. Such events are more challenging to spot, so they are more for experienced astronomers. Opposition is generally the most favorable time for asteroid observations. If you want to discover a new asteroid, it’s better to look at night in the direction opposite to the Sun, and maybe you’ll get lucky!
Asteroids in opposition
Most asteroids are difficult to observe with regular binoculars. However, if you have 10x50 or larger binoculars, you can try spotting the asteroids that are brighter than 10th magnitude — we marked them with an emoji in our list. Just imagine the thrill of seeing a real asteroid with your own eyes!
- December 8, 2025: 16 Psyche (mag 9.7), constellation Taurus. ⭐
- December 25, 2025: 42 Isis (mag 11.3), constellation Gemini.
- January 2, 2026: 40 Harmonia (mag 9.0), constellation Gemini. ⭐
- January 23, 2026: 44 Nysa (mag 8.6), constellation Cancer. ⭐
- February 27, 2026: 7 Iris (mag 8.9), constellation Sextans. ⭐
- March 21, 2026: 20 Massalia (mag 9.0), constellation Virgo. ⭐
- May 28, 2026: 29 Amphitrite (mag 9.7), constellation Scorpius. ⭐
Dwarf planets in opposition
- April 1, 2026: 136472 Makemake (mag 17.0), constellation Coma Berenices.
- April 23, 2026: 136108 Haumea (mag 17.2), constellation Bootes.
- July 27, 2026: 134340 Pluto (mag 15.0), constellation Capricornus.
F.A.Q.
What planets are in opposition now?
The most recent opposition was that of Uranus on November 21, 2025. The next one will be the opposition of Jupiter on January 10, 2026.
How often do planetary oppositions occur?
A planetary opposition occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and a planet. It happens every year for the superior planets. The only exception is the Martian opposition. Since the planet is relatively close to Earth compared to the other outer planets and its orbit and orbital speed are similar to the Earth’s, our planet manages to pass between Mars and the Sun only every 25–26.5 months, so we get one Martian opposition in about two or three years.
How long does an opposition last?
A planet is said to be "at opposition" at a specific moment in time, but the best viewing conditions last for several weeks around it. You can observe the planet on any convenient date around that time. It will rise on the opposite side to the Sun right after sunset, reach the highest point at midnight, and set at dawn.
What is the opposite of opposition in astronomy?
The opposite of opposition in astronomy is a conjunction. During the conjunction of a planet and the Sun, the planet is at its smallest angular distance from the Sun in the sky. It’s the most difficult time to observe the planet because the Sun hinders the view. But there are other astronomical conjunctions that don’t involve the Sun: for instance, planetary conjunctions and lunar-planetary conjunctions. They are quite interesting to observe!
Planet oppositions: Bottom line
Opposition is the best time to observe planets and asteroids because they appear at their biggest and brightest and are visible all night. The next planetary opposition we’re looking forward to is the opposition of Jupiter on January 10, 2026. Also, asteroid Psyche will be at opposition on December 8, 2025. Download the stargazing app Sky Tonight to easily find Jupiter or any other object in the sky.
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