Hello Everyone, My Name is Rishabh Sagar. On the night of 4th September 2025, I conducted and successfully recorded one of the rarest visual observations of Neptune from the bright Bortle 9 skies of New Delhi. Using a 130mm Newtonian Reflector and a Svbony 7–21mm Zoom Eyepiece, I identified Neptune (magnitude ~7.8) alongside the nearby reference star TYC 4663–378 (magnitude ~10.8), and also observed Saturn during the same session. Despite severe urban light pollution, the faint bluish planetary disk of Neptune was distinctly discernible — not merely as a star-like point, but with visible color and resolved disk structure. Detecting both the color and the tiny ~2.3 arcsecond disk through a small 130mm aperture under heavy light pollution makes this one of the rarest visual Neptune observations achieved with modest amateur equipment.
What makes this observation even more significant is that it was accomplished without any stacking, filtering, motorized tracking, or advanced camera techniques. It was a single-night, single-attempt visual capture relying purely on optical precision, steady atmospheric conditions, accurate star-chart referencing, and patient observation skills. This observation has now been permanently archived in the USA and UK astronomical records, verified by Roger Venable of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (USA) and officially documented in the ALPO 2025–2026 Remote Planets Report, as well as by the British Astronomical Association (UK) in their Neptune apparition notes. I am deeply grateful for the professional confirmation and archival recognition.
I am also honored that this observation has been appreciated by scientists associated with NASA and the Royal Astronomical Society. As a result of this work, I have received the opportunity to contribute to two NASA Citizen Science projects — Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 and Daily Minor Planet — under the guidance of NASA scientists. This milestone demonstrates how dedicated amateur astronomy, even from the heart of a bright city, can contribute meaningfully to the global scientific community.
Archived By British Astronomical Association (UK)
Clear Skies,
Rishabh Sagar
NASA Citizen Scientist || Amateur Astronomer
Captured Rarest Visual Neptune Observation