Lord of the rings hits primetime this month
For sky watchers June heralds must-see views of the most majestic planet in the solar system — Saturn. The ringed world appears at its biggest and brightest in our evening skies this month.
The true lord of the rings reaches what is known as opposition on June 27, when it lies opposite the sun in our sky. Opposition marks the peak of its appearance for the entire year. Not only does the gas giant stay visible all night, rising in the east at sunset and setting in the west at dawn, but it also lies closest to Earth at a whopping 1.33 billion kilometres.
For planet watchers this means that for the next two months not only does it shine at its brightest, it also appears its largest in backyard telescopes.
Hunting down Saturn is easy as it looks like a striking goldenyellow star within the faint zodiac constellation Sagittarius, the archer — rising in the eastern horizon as night falls. Another handy guide to locating Saturn is the giant teapot shaped pattern of stars nestled within Sagittarius, which lies just underneath the planet. And also on June 27 look for the near full moon to position itself next to the planet — making for a beautiful sight!
Saturn shines about 10 times brighter than even the most brilliant star in Sagittarius. It remains at this brightness until mid-July, when it begins to fade slowly as it gets further from opposition.
If you scan the sky around Saturn, the closest bright star to its right is Antares. This distinctly orange lead star in the constellation Scorpius, the scorpion appears more than two times dimmer. Meanwhile, another bright star in Saturn’s vicinity is to its upper left, Altair, the lead star in the constellation Aquila, the eagle.
To get the best views of Saturn, however, you will need a small telescope. High magnification views will reveal its stunning system of rings, which now appear 26 degrees tilted toward Earth. The alignment offers your best chance to catch some cool features, such as the dark gaps in its ring system and the coloration of the gas giant’s polar cap.
This is as open as the rings have been since 2013, affording earthbound observers exquisite views of the dark Cassini Division that separates the system’s two brightest rings.
Even the smallest telescope also shows off the brightest and largest moon, Titan, as well as five other satellites Tethys, Dione, Iapetus, Mimas and Rhea.
Finally, for those that enjoy moon pairings — circle June 17 on your calendar. That’s when the thin crescent moon will pay visit to Regulus. As dusk settles in, look for a pretty pairing of the waxing crescent moon and the brilliant blue star setting in the west. One of the brightest stars in the night sky, Regulus is the lead member in the constellation Leo, the lion, and sits about 79 light-years away.