The solar system’s most distant planet sits 1.1° due north of Saturn, placing them together in a single telescopic field of view all night.
Saturn and Neptune undergo a conjunction Aug. 6. Neptune is only visible using a telescope or binoculars; both planets will appear together in a low-power telescope eyepiece. Credit: Astronomy: Roen Kelly
- On a specified date, Saturn and Neptune exhibit a close conjunction, with Saturn positioned 1.1° south of Neptune, observable overnight.
- Saturn, appearing brighter, is situated in Pisces and displays its rings and several moons (Titan, Tethys, Dione, and Rhea) visible through telescopic observation.
- Neptune, at magnitude 7.7, is significantly fainter and smaller in apparent size due to its greater distance from Earth, approximately 3 billion km beyond Saturn.
- Both planets’ slow apparent movement across the sky is attributed to their vast distances from Earth, maintaining proximity throughout the month.
Saturn passes 1.1° due south of Neptune at 6 A.M. EDT. The pair of planets is visible overnight, rising around 10 P.M. local daylight time and setting after sunrise. They stand highest in the sky around 4 A.M. local daylight time, when they are 50° above the southern horizon.
Saturn stands out in southwestern Pisces as the brightest point of light, sitting to the lower left of the Circlet if you’re facing south at 4 A.M. Zoom in with a telescope to spot the planet’s 19”-wide disk and 42”-wide rings, which now show off their southern sunlit face. The planet’s brightest moon, Titan, lies nearly 3’ west of Saturn’s center, while fainter moons cluster closer in. You may see the planet’s three 10th-magnitude moons: Tethys is just east of the eastern tip of the rings, while Dione is west of their western tip. Rhea is southwest of the planet, slowly moving toward the disk — it disappears into the planet’s dark shadow just minutes after 4 A.M. CDT, so you may or may not see it, depending on when you look.
And, of course, just 1.1° north of Saturn is Neptune. Glowing at magnitude 7.7, the distant world spans 2” on the sky — a testament to its distance, nearly 2 billion miles (3 billion km) beyond Saturn. Study that tiny disk, which may appear bluish-gray to the sharp-eyed observer.
The outer planets appear to move slowly relative to the background (and each other) because of their great distance. Saturn will now pull away from Neptune, moving southwest, but the planets still end the month less than 2° apart.
Sunrise: 6:03 A.M.
Sunset: 8:08 P.M.
Moonrise: 6:52 P.M.
Moonset: 2:47 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous (92%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.
