From the June 2010 issue

Neptune returns to its origin

August 2010: Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn gather low in the west at dusk and set within 2 hours of the Sun. Jupiter becomes the major attraction from late evening until dawn, but both Uranus and Neptune make worthy targets for binocular users.
By and | Published: June 28, 2010 | Last updated on May 18, 2023

August 2010 neptune
Neptune appears blue-gray through backyard telescopes, a far cry from its appearance to the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989.
NASA/JPL

Four planets come into view shortly after sunset. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn gather low in the west at dusk and set within 2 hours of the Sun. Brilliant Venus stands out far more than the others.

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