Saturn offers skywatchers the best visibility of the year
The gas giant is the sixth planet from the Sun. According to NASA, Saturn is the second-largest planet and is known for its icy, rocky rings.
Watch: Four days at Saturn
NASA's Cassini spacecraft stared at Saturn for nearly 44 hours on April 25 to 27, 2016, to obtain this movie showing just over four Saturn days. (Courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)
Late in the weekend, stargazers will have an opportunity to see the second-largest planet in the solar system shine brightly as Saturn reaches its annual opposition.
On Sept. 21, Saturn, Earth and the Sun will align in a straight trajectory, a celestial event known as opposition.
Astronomers say the positioning allows the ringed gas giant to be illuminated by sunlight, making it appear brighter than at any other time of the year.
The planet will rise in the eastern sky around sunset and remain visible throughout the evening, with its peak visibility occurring near midnight.
The Moon will be in its new phase, meaning it will be mostly dark and produce minimal interference for those wishing to catch a glimpse of Saturn.
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Hubble’s new look at Saturn on 12 September 2021 shows rapid and extreme colour changes in the bands in the planet’s northern hemisphere, where it is now early autumn. The bands have varied throughout Hubble observations in both 2019 and 2020. Hubble’s Saturn image catches the planet following the southern hemisphere’s winter, evident in the lingering blue-ish hue of the south pole. (NASA/ESA / NASA)
Astronomers anticipate that this will create near-ideal conditions for those hoping to spot Saturn without the help of stargazing equipment.
Despite its close appearance, Saturn will still be more than 740 million miles away from Earth at its closest approach.
For those using a telescope or a magnifying device, there will be several features of the sixth planet that won’t be visible to the naked eye.
One of those features is the planet’s icy, rocky ring groups.
Scientists believe Saturn’s iconic rings formed when a large object or objects - such as a moon, comet or space debris - were torn apart by the planet’s intense gravitational forces.
Although other outer planets such as Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune also possess ring systems, none are as prominent or as complex as Saturn’s.
Telescopes may also help spot Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, which is larger than the planet Mercury.
In total, Saturn is thought to have at least 274 moons, the greatest number of natural satellites in the solar system.
Photo of Titan - One of Saturn's moons (NASA)
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After its opposition, Saturn will stay visible for many weeks, but each passing night will shorten its visibility window and reduce its brilliance because of the sun’s interference.
Other planets that will reach opposition this year includes Neptune on Sept. 23 and Uranus on Nov. 21, but due to their far distance from Earth, the use of a telescope or binoculars is suggested.
Mars is considered to have the closest opposition to Earth, coming within 35 million miles, but that is not expected to happen until February 2027.
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope completed its annual grand tour of the outer Solar System for 2021, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Note: The planets are not shown to scale in this image. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley) and the OPAL team)