See the moon and Saturn meet up in the night sky tonight (2024)

See the moon and Saturn meet up in the night sky tonight (1)

Saturn is back. The sixth planet from the sun and the second largest in the solar system is at the top of most amateur astronomers' wish list. In July, it rises just before midnight and is high in the south before sunrise, but there are two nights this month when the famously "ringed planet" is visited by a waning gibbous moon.

Find yourself a place with a good view low to the eastern horizon and be there around 11:00 EDT on Tuesday, July 23. You'll see a 90% illuminated moon slightly higher in the sky and to the right of Saturn. If you want to see the moonrise, get there about 30 minutes beforehand.

The following evening, on Wednesday, July 24, the two worlds will again appear close to each other. This time, an 81% illuminated moon will be lower in the sky, and to the left, of Saturn. The moon will rise about 11:00 p.m. EDT (though do check the exact time moonrise where you are).

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See the moon and Saturn meet up in the night sky tonight (2)

Want to see the planets of the solar system in the night sky? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide.

On both occasions, Saturn and the moon will be visible against the background stars of the Aquarius constellation. From North America, the two will appear about 10 degrees from each other.

However, those in parts of Asia and Africa will see the moon move across Saturn to occult it for a few hours, according to In The Sky. Those in eastern Africa and Madagascar, southern and eastern India, northwest Indonesia, and most of southeast Asia, China and Mongolia will see Saturn disappear behind the moon for a few hours.

That occultation and the conjunction are, of course, line-of-sight illusions. The moon is, on average, about 238,855 miles (384,400 km), from Earth, according to NASA. Saturn is, on these specific days, around 832 million miles (1,340 million km) distant. These celestial events are only happening from Earth's point of view.

Related: Night sky, July 2024: What you can see tonight [maps]

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See the moon and Saturn meet up in the night sky tonight (3)

Another consequence of our changing point of view in the solar system is how much of Saturn we can currently see. Saturn is now almost fully illuminated because it's waxing towards its annual opposition on September 8, when Earth will be precisely between the sun and Saturn. That's when Saturn will look its biggest, brightest and best, though anytime this summer is perfect for observing it.

However, unaided eyes nor a pair of binoculars won't be enough to resolve Saturn's rings. To see them you'll need a telescope, with even a small 2-inch/50mm refractor enough to glimpse its ring pattern.

If you want to get a closer look at the planets of the night sky take a look at our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars.

And if you want to photograph the close approach of the moon and Saturn, we have tips for how to photograph the planets, as well as guides to the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.

Editor's Note: If you snap an image of the close approach between the moon and Saturn and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Jamie is an experienced science, technology and travel journalist and stargazer who writes about exploring the night sky, solar and lunar eclipses, moon-gazing, astro-travel, astronomy and space exploration. He is the editor ofWhenIsTheNextEclipse.comand authorofA Stargazing Program For Beginners, and is a senior contributor at Forbes. His special skill is turning tech-babble into plain English.

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    See the moon and Saturn meet up in the night sky tonight (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the Moon Saturn conjunction? ›

    Positive Moon-Saturn Conjunction

    The positive combination of Moon-Saturn gives you the ability to discriminate the events with a disciplined practical approach, clear intelligence, balanced emotions that will bring good success to you.

    Can you see Saturn's moons in the night sky? ›

    Seven of Saturn's moons are so bright that they're visible through a telescope. The easiest Saturnian moon to spot is Titan, as the giant moon can reach magnitude +8. At this brightness, you could spot it using a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.

    Where do I find Saturn in the night sky? ›

    Saturn is currently in the constellation of Aquarius. The current Right Ascension is 23h 16m 25s and the Declination is -07° 02' 11” .

    What is the bright light next to the Moon? ›

    A bright object near the Moon can be a star or a planet. You can tell the difference by checking if the object twinkles. If it does, then it's a star; if not, it's a planet. Also, Jupiter and Venus (sometimes Mars and Saturn, too) are way brighter than most stars.

    What does it mean when the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn align? ›

    Moon-Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction - 3 Planet Conjunction

    Saturn and Jupiter are both associated with spirituality and liberation and when such a conjunction falls in a horoscope together with Moon, the native is likely to have a strong penchant for ancient scriptures.

    What does it mean when the Moon is in opposition to Saturn? ›

    Moon opposition Saturn can mean that a child feels like her mother is harsh or does not provide care in the way a child needs, which may be reflected later as issues in relationships and in her family. But to learn how to integrate this energy is impossible without seeing both charts.

    Can planet Saturn be seen at night without a telescope? ›

    Here are a few of the most common skywatching sights to check out. Planets – Five planets in our solar system are easily observed without a telescope: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Uranus is just barely visible for those with excellent eyesight under dark-sky conditions, provided you know where to look.

    What would Saturn look like at night? ›

    Although it does not "stand out" like Venus or Jupiter, Saturn is quite noticeable during the late-evening and overnight hours, shining as a solitary, bright yellowish-white "star" against the rather dim stars of Aquarius.

    What do Saturn's moons look like? ›

    Saturn's moons range in size from smaller than a football stadium to larger than the planet Mercury, and they vary in color, texture and composition. While the larger moons are spherical, others are shaped like a sweet potato (Prometheus), a regular potato (Pandora), a meatball (Janus), and even a sponge (Hyperion).

    Can you see Saturn with the naked eye? ›

    The farthest planet you can see with the naked eye, from even suburban locations, is Saturn. Although you cannot detect the ridiculously cool rings of this planet without a telescope, you can still easily locate it every year in the night sky.

    What month is Saturn most visible? ›

    Saturn is most able to be seen at night in the summer months of july, june, august etc, or in winter months in the late morning. It is a bright object, when you look at it this time of year, look for mars to the right of it, which is the same brightness.

    What object is in the sky tonight? ›

    Sky Tonight
    • Sun. Our Star. ↗ 07:00 ↘ 20:06 ↑ -12° ☼ -26.7 ✣ 32' ...
    • Moon. 3rd Quarter (85%) ↗ 22:02 ↘ 11:29 ↑ 62° ☼ -11.6 ✣ 33' ...
    • Jupiter. Outer Planet. ↗ 01:17 ↘ 15:42 ↑ 53° ☼ -2.2 ✣ 37.5" ...
    • Saturn. Outer Planet. ↗ 21:14 ↘ 08:16 ↑ 45° ☼ 0.6 ✣ 19.1" ...
    • Mars. Outer Planet. ↗ 01:32 ↘ 16:05 ↑ 50° ☼ 0.8 ✣ 6.3"

    What is the bright star that follows the moon? ›

    You may have seen a bright object next to the moon which is not a star but is in fact the planet Venus.

    What is the brightest star in the sky tonight? ›

    See Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.

    What does a half moon and star symbolize? ›

    The star and crescent moon is often seen as a symbol—although unofficial—of the religion of Islam. This symbol appears on the flags of many Muslim countries and is often used to refer to Islam in popular culture. For this reason, the Star and Crescent emoji ☪️ is often used to refer to Islam and Muslims.

    What is the profession of Moon Saturn conjunction? ›

    Beneficiaries of the Conjunction. The fourth category consists of people who benefit from this conjunction. These individuals often excel in professions related to Saturn's domain, such as traveling jobs, food business, nursing, hospitality, etc.

    What does Saturn conjunction mean? ›

    If Jupiter and Saturn have the same longitude as viewed from the Earth, we will call that a conjunction. Notice by this definition the planets may approach one another, but until the longitudes overlap we don't count it as a conjunction.

    What does Moon conjunction mean? ›

    conjunction, in astronomy, an apparent meeting or passing of two or more celestial bodies. The Moon is in conjunction with the Sun at the phase of New Moon, when it moves between the Earth and Sun and the side turned toward the Earth is dark.

    What happens if you do vish yoga in different houses? ›

    The placement of Vish Yoga in different houses of the horoscope will have specific effects. For example, if it occurs in the 1st house, it can lead to confusion, depression, and lack of self-confidence. In the 2nd house, it may result in financial difficulties, negative speech, and dental issues.

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