On 8th September, Saturn will reach its closest point to Earth this year, offering a spectacular view of its rings and moons. During this event, known as “opposition,” Saturn will be fully illuminated by the Sun, making its disk appear brighter in the night sky.
“The planet’s rings will be clearly visible, and you may even spot its brighter moons,” said Khadijah Ahmad, operations manager at the Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG). Saturn, which has 146 moons, will reveal some of its larger ones through telescopes, including Titan, Rhea, Dione, and Enceladus.
Opposition occurs when Saturn is perfectly aligned with the Sun and Earth, making the planet appear larger and more luminous. Saturn will be approximately 1.2 billion kilometres away from Earth at this time, a phenomenon that happens every 378 days. While Saturn can be seen with the naked eye, a telescope is needed to observe its rings and moons in detail.
The best viewing time will be around midnight, and the planet will be visible all night until sunrise. Though it will remain prominent for several weeks, September 8 is when Saturn will be at its brightest. To mark the occasion, the DAG is hosting an event in Dubai’s Al Lisaili Desert, where attendees can use telescopes for a closer look.
This celestial event follows a series of astronomical highlights in August, including a “blue” supermoon, a Mars-Jupiter pair-up, and the Perseids meteor shower. Looking ahead, supermoons will rise on 18th September, 17th October, and 15th November.
