Planets TonightSaturn in 1981: brightness, position and events
Brightest+0.5around Apr 1
Closest (in table)8.563 au1281 million km
Farthest10.609 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year+0.6
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-03-27 13:52 | Opposition | +0.5 | 8.559 | Virgo | 177.3° |
| 1981-10-06 13:29 | Conjunction with the Sun | +0.8 | 10.613 | Virgo | 2.2° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +0.8 | 9.461 | Virgo | 91° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | +0.8 | 9.231 | Virgo | 105° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | +0.7 | 8.974 | Virgo | 122° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.6 | 8.796 | Virgo | 137° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.6 | 8.662 | Virgo | 152° W | Most of the night |
| Mar 15 | +0.5 | 8.582 | Virgo | 167° W | Most of the night |
| Apr 1 | +0.5 | 8.563 | Virgo | 174° E | Most of the night |
| Apr 15 | +0.5 | 8.614 | Virgo | 160° E | Most of the night |
| May 1 | +0.6 | 8.740 | Virgo | 143° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +0.7 | 8.901 | Virgo | 129° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.8 | 9.143 | Virgo | 112° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.8 | 9.366 | Virgo | 99° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.9 | 9.631 | Virgo | 84° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.9 | 9.858 | Virgo | 72° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.9 | 10.112 | Virgo | 57° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.9 | 10.292 | Virgo | 45° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.9 | 10.463 | Virgo | 30° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.9 | 10.558 | Virgo | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.8 | 10.609 | Virgo | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | +0.8 | 10.603 | Virgo | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | +0.9 | 10.529 | Virgo | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.9 | 10.417 | Virgo | 35° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | +0.8 | 10.238 | Virgo | 50° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.8 | 10.046 | Virgo | 63° 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 April 1981 (magnitude +0.5); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.