Saturn approaches opposition.

The planet Saturn will be at opposition (directly opposite the Sun) at 5.37 am GMT on Saturday 20 September 2025. This means that it will both be at its closest to the Earth this year, about 8.55 AU (8.55 times the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, or about 1 279 000 000 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. 

The relative positions of Earth and Saturn when the planet is at opposition. NASA/JPL.

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 Saturday 20 September 2025 Saturn will appear as a bright object in the constellation of Pisces, rising slightly before 9.00 pm in the southeast in the Northern Hemisphere and the northeast in the Southern Hemisphere. The planet will be naked eye visible (clouds allowing) throughout the night, although because the ring system will be edge on to us on this occasion they will only be visible a line bisecting the planet to viewers equipped with a reasonably good telescope (the rings vary in their inclination to Earth cyclically, but this is not related to the opposition event, and some years they are quite visible). The Moon can cause problems for potential observers, as its glare can hinder viewing of nearby objects, however, the opposition coincides with a waxing crescent Moon this year, with a New Moon on Sunday 21 September, which means the amount of Lunar glare will be low, helping observations.

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