Planets TonightSaturn in 1978: brightness, position and events
Brightest+0.1around Feb 15
Closest (in table)8.237 au1232 million km
Farthest10.284 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year-0.1
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-02-16 13:07 | Opposition | +0.1 | 8.237 | Leo | 178.5° |
| 1978-08-27 23:52 | Conjunction with the Sun | +0.7 | 10.286 | Leo | 1.5° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +0.3 | 8.548 | Leo | 130° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | +0.3 | 8.393 | Leo | 145° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | +0.2 | 8.272 | Leo | 164° W | Most of the night |
| Feb 15 | +0.1 | 8.237 | Leo | 178° W | Most of the night |
| Mar 1 | +0.2 | 8.264 | Leo | 166° E | Most of the night |
| Mar 15 | +0.2 | 8.350 | Leo | 151° E | Most of the night |
| Apr 1 | +0.3 | 8.524 | Leo | 133° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.4 | 8.713 | Leo | 119° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +0.5 | 8.960 | Leo | 103° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +0.5 | 9.191 | Leo | 90° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.6 | 9.471 | Leo | 74° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.7 | 9.687 | Leo | 62° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.7 | 9.905 | Leo | 48° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.7 | 10.062 | Leo | 36° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.7 | 10.201 | Leo | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.7 | 10.266 | Leo | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | +0.7 | 10.284 | Leo | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | +0.8 | 10.245 | Leo | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.8 | 10.145 | Leo | 29° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | +0.8 | 10.011 | Leo | 42° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | +0.8 | 9.799 | Leo | 57° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.8 | 9.592 | Leo | 70° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | +0.8 | 9.334 | Leo | 85° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.7 | 9.103 | Leo | 99° W | Morning sky |
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 February 1978 (magnitude +0.1); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.