- On Sunday 4 October 2026, Earth will pass directly between the Sun and Saturn.
o - Saturn is opposite the Sun in our sky, so it rises at sunset (18:45 / 6.45pm) and remains visible through the night.
o - Saturn is at approximately its closest point to Earth for the year, about 782 million miles away, and reaches its brightest apparent magnitude +0.3 for 2026.
o - Through a small telescope, the rings should be visible, although they remain relatively narrow because of their current tilt.
o
oooo
oooo
Saturn’s rings in visible light
- On the left, this photo was captured by Richard Houston at Norfolk Deaf Astronomical Society.
o - His photograph beautifully shows Saturn’s rings in visible.
o - Richard mentioned that following the edge-on ring plane crossing last year (2025), Saturn’s rings are opening back up. This will offer a much clearer view through telescopes during this opposition.
oooo
oooo
oooo
oooo
oooo