The bejeweled gas giant and our planet’s natural satellite will reach conjunction this week in a spectacular evening display.
A crescent Moon and brilliant Saturn make a beautiful pairing in the evening sky. Credit: Sérgio Conceição
This week, the Moon will swing by first-magnitude Saturn. Look to the southwest early in the evening on Saturday, January 13, and you’ll see a young crescent Moon 8° west of Saturn. On the next night, Sunday the 14th, the Moon will be 7° east of Saturn.
If you’re using binoculars or your Celestron telescope, you’ll have a short window of time for your best view of Saturn’s rings — after the sky has darkened, but before Saturn slips into the haze near the horizon. It will set by around 8:30 P.M. local time.
For more of what to look at in The Sky This Week, click here. And go here for our January edition of our Sky This Month, our monthly guide to the night sky.
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