Planets TonightSaturn in 1997: brightness, position and events
Brightest+0.2around Oct 15
Closest (in table)8.396 au1256 million km
Farthest10.443 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year+0.5
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-03-31 07:19 | Conjunction with the Sun | +0.8 | 10.443 | Cetus | 2.2° |
| 1997-10-10 13:25 | Opposition | +0.2 | 8.392 | Pisces | 177.2° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +0.9 | 9.581 | Pisces | 81° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +0.9 | 9.804 | Pisces | 67° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | +0.9 | 10.046 | Pisces | 51° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.9 | 10.210 | Pisces | 39° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.9 | 10.333 | Cetus | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.9 | 10.412 | Cetus | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +0.8 | 10.443 | Cetus | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | +0.8 | 10.415 | Pisces | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | +0.8 | 10.325 | Pisces | 27° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +0.8 | 10.199 | Pisces | 39° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.8 | 9.997 | Pisces | 53° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.8 | 9.798 | Pisces | 66° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.7 | 9.545 | Pisces | 80° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.6 | 9.314 | Pisces | 93° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.6 | 9.038 | Pisces | 108° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.5 | 8.828 | Pisces | 122° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.4 | 8.615 | Pisces | 139° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.3 | 8.487 | Pisces | 153° W | Most of the night |
| Oct 1 | +0.3 | 8.405 | Pisces | 170° W | Most of the night |
| Oct 15 | +0.2 | 8.396 | Pisces | 174° E | Most of the night |
| Nov 1 | +0.3 | 8.466 | Pisces | 156° E | Most of the night |
| Nov 15 | +0.4 | 8.585 | Pisces | 142° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +0.5 | 8.778 | Pisces | 125° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.6 | 8.984 | Pisces | 110° E | Evening 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 October 1997 (magnitude +0.2); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.