Prepare for Saturn’s annual nighttime show!
Saturn will be visible in the sky starting Monday (Aug. 2) as part of a celestial phenomenon known as opposition. Earth and the ringed planet will be on the same side of the sun, connected by an invisible line to our star, allowing skygazers on Earth to see a fully illuminated Saturn.
According to the website EarthSky.org, Saturn reaches its brightest point at around 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT) on Monday. It will reach its highest point in the sky around midnight local time, and it will be visible in the constellation Capricornus.
From our vantage point, the angle should allow sunlight to reflect off the icy rings, illuminating them.
Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, may also be visible to viewers. ‘Titan is actually pretty easy through a small telescope,’ astronomer Phil Plait said. ‘You might notice a small star next to Saturn if you look closely. That could very well be Titan; you can find planetarium software on the internet to confirm it’ He stated.
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