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The best time to viewSaturnis rapidly come near !
The best sentiment of the ring satellite come when it enters opposition — in other Logos , when the Earth is directly between Saturn and the sun . This yr , that ’s overnight between Sept. 7 and Sept. 8 .
Saturn and its rings spotted by the Hubble Space Telescope in Oct. 1998
You do not want to miss this once - a - yr opportunity to see Saturn at its biggest and brightest ; after Sept. 8 , 2024 , you wo n’t be able to see Saturn in oppositeness until Sept. 21 , 2025 . Here ’s everything you need to know to spot Saturn at its peak size of it and brightness .
How to view Saturn
Viewing Saturn with the naked eye is n’t optimum because you wo n’t be able to see its stunning ring . ( Without appurtenance , the planet looks like a very bright wizard ) . The best way to view Saturn is to use abackyard telescope , or a strongpair of stargazing binoculars , so you may see Saturn ’s pack in crisp relief .
Because Saturn is come on opposition , it will be in the diametric part of the sky as the define Sun . On Sept. 7 and 8 , Saturn will appear in the configuration Aquarius . you may usesky chartsthat are updated daily to see Saturn ’s current place proportional to Aquarius , or if you ’d like a picayune more hands - on help with finding the reverberate major planet , you may use apps likeStellariumto easily situate Saturn or other celestial objects .
relate : The best meteor shower of 2024 are yet to come . Here are the primal nights to observe for .
When to see Saturn
Saturn will move up between just about 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. local clip on Sept. 7 and will go under between approximately 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. local meter on Sept. 8 . Saturn will reach its highest pointedness in the sky around midnight local time on Sept. 8 . ( you could usethis toolfrom the U.S. Navy to check precise rise and ready time in your exact location ) .
Saturn will strain opposition when Saturn and the sun are positioned directly face-to-face of each other in the sky ; this will bump at12:27 a.m. EDTon Sept. 8 . When Saturn reach opposition , it will look larger because it will be at its closest gunpoint to Earth .
— 100 - yr - long ' megastorms ' on Saturn are creating wireless signal that scientists ca n’t fully excuse
— See the mo the blue supermoon ' bolt up ' Saturn in epic astrophotography image
— Mysterious ' magic ' islands that get along and go on Saturn ’s moonlight Titan at last have an explanation
n the night of Sept. 7 - 8,the moonwill be a wax crescent ( 18 % full ) and will set around 10 p.m. local time , make utter note condition .
If you do n’t get the chance to observe the night sky on Sept. 7 - 8 , do n’t worry ! Saturn will still come out bigger and brilliant than usualin the week or so before and after it reaches opposition , so there ’s plenty of time to see Saturn ’s doughnut in all their halo . From the start of September to Sept. 13 , the Sun Myung Moon will setbefore midnight , which imply that you ’ll have sizeable opportunity to see Saturn at or cheeseparing opposition with moonshine - innocent sky .
The Seeliger Effect
When you observe Saturn as it nears opponent , you ’ll be able to see theSeeliger Effect , which is an unusual brightening of Saturn and its ring . This effect chance because of the position of Saturn relative to the sun and our position on the world : the sun throw up its rays from behind Earth directly onto Saturn , directly sort out Saturn and its rings , which is why Saturn is at its bright when it ’s in opposition .
