The planet Saturn will be at opposition (directly opposite the Sun) at
about 10.05 am GMT on Thursday 15 June 2017. This means that it will both
be at its closest to the Earth this year, about 8.9 AU (8.9 times the
average distance between the Earth and the Sun, or about 1 331 000 000
km), and completely illuminated by the Sun. While it is not obvious to
the naked eye observer, the planets have phases just like those of the
Moon; being further from the Sun than the Earth, Saturn is 'full' when
directly opposite the Sun.
While the relative positions of the planets have no direct influence on
life on Earth, the opposition of Saturn does present the best
opportunity for observations of the planet by Earth-based observers. On Thursday 15 June 2017 Saturn will appear as a bright object in the
constellation of
Ophiuchus, rising at about 10.30 pm in the southeast in the
Northern Hemisphere and the northeast in the Southern Hemisphere. Seen
through a moderate sized telescope both the planet and its rings should
be visible, with the rings tilted at an angle of 26°. However this opposition will occur not long after the Full Moon on 9 June, which will affect observations.
See also...
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