Post by Centaur on Nov 20, 2007 13:43:04 GMT -6
Saturn will soon be returning to our evening skies. It will begin rising before local midnight (the time midway between sunset and sunrise) for Chicagoland observers on 2007 NOV 24, making it both a midnight star and a morning star. That will be essentially true for most observers at mid-northern latitudes. In standard time Saturn began rising before midnight for Chicagoland on NOV 19.
Saturn will reach its western quadrature (90° from Sun) on NOV 30. It will begin apparent retrograde motion on DEC 19. Its greatest brilliance for this opposition should be achieved around 2008 FEB 16 at magnitude +0.2. Its closest approach of 8.2914 AU and its oppositions in longitude, right ascension and elongation will all occur on FEB 24 CST.
At the time of opposition the apparent tilt of Saturn’s rings (technically, the saturnocentric latitude of Earth) will be -8.4°. Its angular equatorial diameter will be 20.0 arcseconds. At a declination of N 11.3° Saturn remains well positioned in the sky for northern hemisphere observers.
Retrograde motion will end on MAR 02. Eastern quadrature will be achieved on MAY 22. Then on SEP 03 Saturn will be in conjunction with the Sun.
The southern side of Saturn’s rings was maximally exposed for us on 2003 APR 07 at 27.0°. The Sun will pass through the ring plane on 2009 AUG 10, then the Earth will do so on SEP 04. Between those dates the dark side of the rings will be presented to us, and they will be essentially invisible. Although that will be at a time when Saturn is nearing conjunction with the Sun.
Saturn's ring plane is not actually wobbling. It is the direction toward which we view the rings that changes as both the Earth and Saturn orbit the Sun.
I've created graphics related to Saturn for my website: www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html
Your photos and descriptions of Saturn would be welcome additions to this thread.
Saturn will reach its western quadrature (90° from Sun) on NOV 30. It will begin apparent retrograde motion on DEC 19. Its greatest brilliance for this opposition should be achieved around 2008 FEB 16 at magnitude +0.2. Its closest approach of 8.2914 AU and its oppositions in longitude, right ascension and elongation will all occur on FEB 24 CST.
At the time of opposition the apparent tilt of Saturn’s rings (technically, the saturnocentric latitude of Earth) will be -8.4°. Its angular equatorial diameter will be 20.0 arcseconds. At a declination of N 11.3° Saturn remains well positioned in the sky for northern hemisphere observers.
Retrograde motion will end on MAR 02. Eastern quadrature will be achieved on MAY 22. Then on SEP 03 Saturn will be in conjunction with the Sun.
The southern side of Saturn’s rings was maximally exposed for us on 2003 APR 07 at 27.0°. The Sun will pass through the ring plane on 2009 AUG 10, then the Earth will do so on SEP 04. Between those dates the dark side of the rings will be presented to us, and they will be essentially invisible. Although that will be at a time when Saturn is nearing conjunction with the Sun.
Saturn's ring plane is not actually wobbling. It is the direction toward which we view the rings that changes as both the Earth and Saturn orbit the Sun.
I've created graphics related to Saturn for my website: www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html
Your photos and descriptions of Saturn would be welcome additions to this thread.
).