Neptune at closer distances
Neptune is the most distant planet in the Solar System. Perigee combines dated Voyager clouds with reconstructed atmospheric bands and haze in a pale blue globe. Moving it inward reveals how distance hides the scale of this ice giant.
- 49,244 km
- 16.11 hours
- planet
How big would Neptune look if it replaced the Moon?
At 384,400 km, Neptune spans 7.3° across your sky — about 14 times the width of the full Moon. Light crosses that gap in 1.3 seconds.
At the Moon's distance Neptune spans a broad blue disc, with dated Voyager clouds and reconstructed bands.
How big would Neptune look from two million kilometres?
At 2,000,000 km, Neptune spans 1.4° across your sky — about 2.7 times the width of the full Moon. Light crosses that gap in 6.7 seconds.
The faint banding in the atmosphere becomes readable.
How big would Neptune look from twelve million kilometres?
At 12,000,000 km, Neptune spans 14.1′ across your sky — about 0.45 times the width of the full Moon. Light crosses that gap in 40.0 seconds.
The planet is still a definite blue disc against the star field.
How big would Neptune look from one hundred and twenty million kilometres?
At 120,000,000 km, Neptune spans 1.4′ across your sky — a small fraction of the width of the full Moon. Light crosses that gap in 6.7 minutes.
Neptune contracts toward a tiny blue point.
How big does Neptune look at its closest real approach?
At 28.7 AU, Neptune spans 2.36 arcseconds across your sky — a small fraction of the width of the full Moon. Light crosses that gap in 4.0 hours.
At its real distance Neptune is not visible to an unaided eye at all.
What Perigee calculates and what it renders
The apparent size on this page is calculated from the published diameter and the distance you choose, using the same geometry the live scene uses. The lighting and surface treatment are an authored visualization.
How Perigee calculates apparent size