Planet Saturn will reach its closest point to Earth this year on September 8, offering a stunning view of its rings and moons. During what is known as ‘opposition’, the sunlight that shines on the ringed planet is fully reflected back to Earth, making the whole of its disk visible. That means Saturn will appear brighter in the sky.
“The planet’s rings will be clearly visible and you might catch a glimpse of its brighter moons,” Khadijah Ahmad, operations manager at the Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG), told Khaleej Times. “Saturn has 146 moons; typically the bigger and brighter ones can be seen through telescopes. These include Titan, Rhea, Dione, Enceladus etc.”
Saturn’s opposition occurs when the planet is perfectly aligned with the Sun and Earth, placing it on the opposite side of the Sun.
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“This alignment not only makes Saturn appear larger and more luminous in the night sky but also provides an exceptional opportunity to observe its stunning rings and moons with greater clarity,” the DAG explained.
The opposition will see Saturn get to its closest point to Earth, approximately 1.2 billion kilometres away. “Such an event occurs approximately once every 378 days, making it a significant occasion for astronomers and the general public alike.”
How to catch it
Though the celestial spectacle can be seen with the naked eye, one would need a telescope to see the rings and moons.
“The planet will rise at sunset and the best time to see it will be around midnight when it is most prominent. It will be visible all night till sunrise,” said Khadijah. “Saturn will stay visible in the sky for several weeks after opposition, but it will be at its absolute best on September 8.”
The DAG is hosting a paid event in Dubai’s Al Lisaili Desert, where attendees can observe Saturn through telescopes.
Last month, three celestial events dazzled the night sky: A ‘blue’ supermoon rose on August 19; Mars and Jupiter had an extremely close pair-up on August 15; and hundreds of shooting stars zoomed as Perseids meteor shower peaked on August 12.
Looking ahead, supermoons will rise on September 18, October 17 and November 15. Supermoon is when a full Moon coincides with its closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit.