Quadrature is when the direction of a heavenly body as seen from the Earth makes a right angle with the direction of the Sun. A superior planet (outside the Earth's orbit) is at west quadrature when its position is 90^o west of the Sun. It rises around midnight, reaches the meridian near sunrise and sets near noon. At east quadrature the planet is near the meridian at sunset and sets near midnight.

At opposition a planet is opposite the sun in our sky, rising at sunset and setting at dawn. At conjunction, a planet either lies directly in front of the sun or behind the sun, as seen from Earth.