Opposition is a term used in positional astronomy and astrology to indicate when one celestial body is on the opposite side of the sky when viewed from a particular place (usually the Earth). In particular, two planets are in opposition to each other when their ecliptic longitudes differ by 180°. Positional astronomy is the study of the positions of celestial objects. ... Hand-coloured version of the anonymous Flammarion woodcut. ... See also Lists of astronomical objects Category: ... Adjectives: Terrestrial, Terran, Telluric, Tellurian, Earthly Atmosphere Surface pressure: 101. ... The eight planets and three dwarf planets of the Solar System. ... Ecliptic longitude (celestial longitude) is one of the co-ordinates which can be used to define the location of an astronomical object on the celestial sphere in ecliptic coordinates. ...

The symbol of opposition is ☍. Handwritten: Image File history File links Opposition. ...

A planet (or asteroid or comet) is said to be "in opposition" when it is in opposition to the Sun as seen from the Earth. This is the best time to observe a planet because: 253 Mathilde, a C-type asteroid. ... Comet Hale-Bopp Comet McNaught as seen from Swifts Creek, Victoria, Australia on 23 January 2007 A comet is a small body in the solar system that orbits the Sun and (at least occasionally) exhibits a coma (or atmosphere) and/or a tail â€” both primarily from the effects of... The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. ...

• it is visible almost all night, rising around sunset, culminating around midnight and setting around sunrise;
• its orbit brings it closest to the Earth, making it appear bigger and brighter.
• the opposition effect increases the reflected light from bodies with unobscured rough surfaces

Opposition occurs only in superior planets. In astronomy, the culmination, at a given point, of a planet, star, constellation, etc. ... In physics, an orbit is the path that an object makes, around another object, whilst under the influence of a source of centripetal force, such as gravity. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Opposition spike. ... The terms inferior planet and superior planet were coined by Copernicus to distinguish a planets orbits size in relation to the Earths. ...

The Moon, which orbits the Earth rather than the Sun, is in opposition to the Sun at full moon. When it is exact in opposition, a lunar eclipse occurs. Apparent magnitude: up to -12. ... Composite image of the Moon as taken by the Galileo spacecraft on 7 December 1992. ... A lunar eclipse occurs whenever the Moon passes through some portion of the Earths shadow. ...

Superior and inferior

As seen from a planet that is superior, if an inferior planet is on the opposite side of the Sun, it is in superior conjunction with the Sun. An inferior conjunction occurs when the two planets lie in a line on the same side of the Sun. In an inferior conjunction, the superior planet is "in opposition" to the Sun as seen from the inferior planet. figure for Positional astronomy, created by me (Looxix). ... The terms inferior planet and superior planet were coined by Copernicus to distinguish a planets orbits size in relation to the Earths. ... The terms inferior planet and superior planet were coined by Copernicus to distinguish a planets orbits size in relation to the Earths. ... Three lines — the red and blue lines have same slope, while the red and green ones have same y-intercept. ... The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. ...

See also

• Astrometry
• Astronomical conjunction
• Astrological aspects
• Positional astronomy
• Syzygy