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Get yourstargazing binocularsout ! Overnight from Aug. 20 to 21,the puritanical supermoonwill pass in front of — or occult — the ringed major planet Saturn . AlthoughSaturnand the moon will be low in the sky when the occultation begin , they will be easily seeable when the event terminate . After Saturn issue from behind the moon , the large planet will stay close to the moon all nighttime .
Here ’s everything you take to know to see this stunning event .
A composite image of a lunar occultation of Saturn
How to watch
reckon Saturn with the raw middle is n’t ideal ; if you do n’t utilise agood backyard telescopeor pair of binoculars , Saturn will be indistinguishable from any bright stars in the sky . The practiced manner to view Saturn is to use a pair of high - powered opera glasses or a telescope so that you could see its signature rings and moons . If you use a scope , you’re able to see Saturn in even more detail : in addition to learn its rings and moons , you will be able to see the bands of clouds at its surface as well .
On Aug. 20 , Saturn andthe moonwill raise in the southeastern part of the sky and mark in the southwesterly part of the sky . Saturn will lie in the configuration Aquarius , but since Saturn will be so secretive to the moon , you probably wo n’t need to apply Aquarius as a waypoint .
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Through a telescope, several of Saturn’s moons, as well as its rings and bands of clouds, can become visible from Earth.
When to watch
Saturn and the moon will come up around9 p.m.local time on Aug. 20 , and will set around8 a.m.local clip on the 21st . bet on your advantage point , they will reach their highest point in the sky between approximately 2 and 3 a.m. , reaching a height of about 42 degrees above the horizon , according totheskylive.com .
The lunar month will go in front of Saturn around8:44 p.m. local time . bet on your exact location , the occultation will occur immediately before or immediately after the two physical object cover the celestial horizon .
If you miss the moment when the moonshine start up to occult Saturn , you may be able to see Saturn come forth from behind the moon , which will happen around12:38 a.m. local clip , when the moonlight is high in the sky .
you’re able to habituate apps likeStellariumto check on the exact times in your specific location .
Observing conditions
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On the night of Aug. 20 - 21 , the moonlight will be bright and full . ordinarily , morose skies are the most idealistic for observing because moonshine can wash out other object in the sky . However , Saturn is quite bright , so it will still be distinctly seeable despite the full moon .
The occultation of Saturn might not be visible to all observer because the apparent situation of Saturn and other heavenly objects can varyup to two degreesdepending on your position on Earth . ( This apparent shift in an target ’s position depending on your vantage distributor point is calledparallax ) . However , even if you just miss the eclipse , you will still be able to see Saturn make an extremely close approach to the moon the entire nighttime .
