Throughout the first half of 2022, people wanting to get a glimpse of a planet in the night sky have had to wake up before the crack of dawn as every planet visible to the naked eye — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — have been early-morning objects. However, by mid-August, Saturn will make its return to the evening sky in grand fashion.
About once a year, Saturn reaches “opposition,” which is the point in its orbit when it appears opposite of the sun from the perspective of the Earth. Opposition marks the middle of the best time of year to see an outer planet. During the weeks around its opposition, Saturn is generally at its closest to Earth and brightest for the year. It’s a beautiful and noticeable golden “star” in our night sky. Plus, because it’s opposite the sun, it’s up all night!
Although a telescope will be needed to get a good gander at Saturn’s famous rings, none is needed to see the planet itself. How can you find Saturn in the night sky? One hint is its brightness during August. It’s brighter than most stars in the sky. Also, it shines with a golden color and steady light. And it follows the same path across our sky that the sun travels during the day, or as Earth Sky says, ecliptic.
Although the Saturn opposition occurs this year on Sunday, August 14, any night with cloud-free weather throughout August will be a good time to view the planet. The planet will be visible all night long, rising in the East around nightfall and setting in the West around daybreak. In 2022, if you have a dark sky, you’ll find Saturn in the sky near a very noticeable pattern: the famous Teapot asterism in Sagittarius. Have fun gazing … and contemplating!
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