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How to Find Saturn

Saturn is one of the easier planets to find in the sky if you know where to look. It will look like a bright star to the naked eye, a golden oval through a low-power telescope, and a distinctly ringed planet through a high-power telescope. On a clear night you might see the divisions between Saturn's rings and several of its moons. Since the orbit of Saturn is so much wider than Earth's, it will rise and set at different times every year. It is best to locate Saturn in relation to various constellations in the night sky.

Things You'll Need

naked eye or telescope
compass

Instructions

- 1
  Get away from the city lights. The darker your surroundings, the brighter Saturn will be. If possible, get miles away from any artificial light and allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness by staying in the dark for at least a half hour.
- 2
  Look for Saturn in the southern sky. This is where it rises and sets. Saturn will move across the sky from southeast to southwest like the stars. Saturn's rising and setting happens at different times throughout the year, and from year to year. Saturn will also rise higher in the sky at certain times of the year, and from year to year. However, Saturn is always seen in the southern sky if you are in the northern hemisphere of Earth.
- 3
  View Saturn between the constellations Leo and Virgo through 2009. Look for Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, and Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. Saturn lies on a line between the two stars. Saturn will appear brighter than both of them.
- 4
  Understand that Saturn moves along the zodiac from constellation to constellation from year to year. It takes about two and a half years to travel from one constellation to the next. In 2010 and 2011, Saturn will be located near Virgo. It will then move toward Libra in 2011 and 2012. The progression moves on to Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and then Leo again. It takes Saturn 29 and a half years to complete its orbit.
- 5
  Realize that Saturn will have a retrograde motion in the sky. It will appear to wander backwards in relation to the stars at times. This is what all planets do when viewed from Earth. Retrograde motion is not far. Saturn will still appear near the constellation it is associated with for a given year.

Astronomy