Uranus reaches opposition on 25 November 2026. At 00:03 UT that day, the planet is due south and highest in the sky, but also only 6° from a bright full Moon (it too being at opposition).
For this reason, we’ve picked 22 November as the best time to see Uranus in 2026, as the planet will be easier to find with the Moon a little farther away.
To be honest, the appearance of Uranus won’t alter much over the weeks before and after opposition, as the planet is so far away that the advantages are slight.
The biggest benefit occurs because the Sun, Earth and Uranus are in a line, meaning the distance between us and the planet is minimised.
Even so, opposition brings Uranus to its brightest for the current period of observation, shining at mag. +5.6 and with an apparent diameter of 3.8 arcseconds.
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What you'll see
Through a small telescope, Uranus shows a tiny green-hued disc. However, large apertures are required to get anything more out of this disc and even then it can be a struggle.
The most commonly observed features are subtle shading differences between different sections of the planet.
A 200–250mm scope may pick up the largest and outermost of Uranus’s brightest moons, Titania and Oberon, but a 300mm or larger is required for moons Ariel and Umbriel, while tricky Miranda calls for at least a 400mm scope.
Planetary imagers can get away with smaller apertures by using a large image scale and deliberately over-exposing the planet.
Uranus, November 2026 – at a glance
- Best time to see: 22 November, 00:15 UT
- Altitude: 58°
- Location: Taurus
- Direction: South
- Features: Colour, subtle banding, brighter moons
- Recommended equipment: 200mm or larger
