Skywatchers alert! Saturn will make its brightest and biggest appearance this weekend. Here's how to watch it

Skywatchers assemble! Saturn, the giant ringed planet might make its best appearance of 2023 this weekend. The sixth planet will be the brightest and best placed (as seen from Earth) during this time, which will be a delight to skywatchers’ eyes.

This weekend, Saturn will be situated directly opposite the Sun with Earth in the middle. According to NASA, the gas-giant will also reach its perigee, that is, it will be closest to Earth. The combination of these two celestial events will make Saturn appear at its brightest and biggest this weekend.

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The planet will remain visible through February 2024.

Here is everything you need to know to see Saturn at its brightest and best in 2023:

When will Saturn be at its biggest and brightest?

Saturn’s best view can be seen on Sunday (Aug 27), as per Space.com. On Sunday, the planet will reach its highest point around midnight in North America, while the exact moment of its appearance will occur a few hours later, around 4:20 am EDT (8:20 GMT or 1:50 pm IST) on Sunday.

At the moment of opposition, Saturn will reach magnitude 0.4, its brightest for 2023. Brighter objects have a lower magnitude; the full moon, by comparison, has a magnitude of around -12.6, according to NASA. This means Saturn should be easily visible to the unaided eye as a bright, non-flickering orb in the sky.

How to watch Saturn at its brightest and biggest?

Though on Sunday, Saturn can be viewed with the naked eye, but binoculars will reveal more detail and bring out the pale yellow colour of the planet. Under the right conditions, some high-power binoculars could even begin to bring out faint traces of Saturn's rings or even its largest moon, Titan.

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Through a telescope, however, Saturn's rings should be clearly apparent. The gas giant's rings are currently beginning to tilt more on-edge toward Earth and will continue to do so through 2025, according to NASA. That makes this weekend an optimal time to catch a glimpse of one of the best night sky targets available to most backyard skywatchers.

The best way to find Saturn in the night sky

The ringed planet is currently within the constellation of Aquarius, which is visible in the northern sky as seen from the northern hemisphere. It would be perfect to find a clear view of the southern horizon to spot Saturn easily.

(With inputs from agencies)

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