THE PLANETS
Our celestial neighbourhood in October
PICK OF THE MONTH Uranus
Best time to see: 31 October, around midnight UT
Altitude: 52º
Location: Aries
Direction: South
Features: Colour, moons, atmosphere Recommended equipment: 150mm or larger
Uranus will reach opposition on Thursday 4 November. Around this time the planet appears at its brightest and largest for the year, but its great distance from Earth, means such effects aren’t noticeably different to other, non-opposition dates. One benefit of opposition for the outer planets however, is an increased period of observability – they’re visible for the entire night.
Uranus is currently in Aries, located in the southern part of the constellation, just to the north of the pattern that defines the head of Cetus, the Whale. It shines at mag. +5.7, which means it should be visible to the naked eye from a location with good, dark skies. Through binoculars, Uranus looks exactly like a mag. +5.7 star. A small telescope is required to bring out its distinct greenish hue and reveal its tiny, 3.8 arcsecond disc.
Larger instruments may be able to show banding in the planet’s atmosphere as well as some of the brighter moons. Uranus has a current total of 27 officially identified satellites, five of which are big and bright enough to be seen through larger amateur instruments. These moons are Miranda,
Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon. They present a good challenge to see visually and, due to their close proximity
to the planet, a challenge to image too. It’s easy to lose Miranda in the overexposed glare of Uranus. Currently, Uranus is the best-placed planet to observe from the UK, reaching a peak altitude of 52° from the centre of the country, when due south. This lifts it out of the low-altitude atmospheric murk, providing a more stable view. It also increases your chances of spotting its dim dot with your naked eye.