Planets TonightSaturn in 1973: brightness, position and events
Brightest-0.4around Dec 15
Closest (in table)8.042 au1203 million km
Farthest10.035 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year-0.4
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-06-15 18:00 | Conjunction with the Sun | -0.1 | 10.035 | Taurus | 1.1° |
| 1973-12-23 14:50 | Opposition | -0.6 | 8.032 | Gemini | 178.9° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.3 | 8.131 | Taurus | 155° E | Most of the night |
| Jan 15 | -0.3 | 8.257 | Taurus | 140° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.2 | 8.471 | Taurus | 122° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.1 | 8.683 | Taurus | 107° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.0 | 8.911 | Taurus | 94° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.0 | 9.143 | Taurus | 80° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.1 | 9.411 | Taurus | 64° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.1 | 9.608 | Taurus | 52° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +0.1 | 9.796 | Taurus | 38° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +0.1 | 9.919 | Taurus | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.1 | 10.010 | Taurus | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -0.1 | 10.035 | Taurus | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | +0.1 | 10.007 | Taurus | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | +0.1 | 9.933 | Orion | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.1 | 9.786 | Gemini | 39° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.1 | 9.624 | Gemini | 51° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.1 | 9.386 | Gemini | 66° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.0 | 9.166 | Gemini | 78° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | -0.0 | 8.903 | Gemini | 93° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -0.1 | 8.676 | Gemini | 107° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -0.2 | 8.423 | Gemini | 124° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | -0.3 | 8.250 | Gemini | 139° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.3 | 8.107 | Gemini | 156° W | Most of the night |
| Dec 15 | -0.4 | 8.042 | Gemini | 171° W | Most of the night |
Computed with the JPL DE421 ephemeris and Skyfield (times in JST). Magnitude and distance are for 12:00 JST on each date. Visibility is a rough guide for mid-northern latitudes such as Japan.
About this page
Saturn is brightest around December 1973 (magnitude -0.4); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.