المملكة: Jeddah Astronomy: Uranus will reach the closest point to Earth tonight that is suitable for observation

The Astronomical Society in Jeddah Engineer Majid Abu Zahra said that the skies of the Arab world are witnessing today, Friday, November 21, 2025, a remarkable astronomical event, represented by the arrival of the planet Uranus in opposition; It is the moment when the Earth is located between the Sun and Uranus, and the planet appears with a completely illuminated face and reaches its best An opportunity to observe during the year.

Although the opposition means that the two planets fall at the closest possible astronomical distance, Abu Zahira explained that the difference is still vast; This year, Uranus is about 2.77 billion kilometers away, equivalent to 18.51 astronomical units, which makes describing it as the closest astronomically does not mean its practical proximity.

Rise simultaneous with sunset

Because of the occurrence of the opposition, Uranus rises simultaneously with sunset, and remains high in the sky throughout the hours of the night, reaching its highest point above the horizon around midnight, according to The location of the geographical observer, before heading towards sunset coinciding with sunrise.

A faint luminosity that is not easily noticed by the eye

Contrary to what happens with the planets that glow in the sky when they meet, the luminosity of Uranus this year is at a level of (+5.6), which is a faint magnitude that does not appear to the naked eye except in locations with dark skies and excellent viewing conditions. Through good small or medium telescopes, it can be distinguished as a small foggy disk with greater clarity.

It can also be spotted by those who know its precise location using binoculars, as it will appear as a faint point of light. Abu Zahira adds that its position in the Taurus constellation this year, and its presence near the Pleiades cluster, helps amateurs easily determine its location using sky-tracking applications.

The crescent of the month creates ideal conditions for observation

While the moonlight may usually affect the viewing of dim objects, the moon will be in the crescent phase at the beginning of the month during the opposition period, which is a low-illumination phase, which makes its impact on the observation process limited compared to the brighter phases. Brightly.

This event is a valuable opportunity for those interested in astronomy to observe one of the farthest planets of the solar system, on a night that shows Uranus in its best observational position during the year 2025.

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