Planets TonightSaturn in 2002: brightness, position and events
Brightest-0.5around Dec 15
Closest (in table)8.053 au1205 million km
Farthest10.059 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year-0.5
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-06-09 20:23 | Conjunction with the Sun | -0.1 | 10.062 | Taurus | 1.3° |
| 2002-12-18 02:27 | Opposition | -0.5 | 8.052 | Taurus | 178.7° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.3 | 8.208 | Taurus | 149° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.2 | 8.353 | Taurus | 134° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.1 | 8.584 | Taurus | 116° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.1 | 8.804 | Taurus | 102° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.0 | 9.035 | Taurus | 88° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.1 | 9.265 | Taurus | 75° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.1 | 9.524 | Taurus | 59° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.1 | 9.709 | Taurus | 47° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +0.1 | 9.879 | Taurus | 33° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +0.1 | 9.985 | Taurus | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.1 | 10.054 | Taurus | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | +0.0 | 10.059 | Taurus | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | +0.1 | 10.008 | Taurus | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.1 | 9.915 | Taurus | 30° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.1 | 9.748 | Taurus | 44° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.1 | 9.572 | Taurus | 56° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.1 | 9.321 | Orion | 71° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.0 | 9.096 | Orion | 84° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | -0.1 | 8.832 | Orion | 99° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -0.1 | 8.610 | Orion | 112° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -0.2 | 8.370 | Orion | 130° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | -0.3 | 8.213 | Orion | 144° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.4 | 8.095 | Taurus | 162° W | Most of the night |
| Dec 15 | -0.5 | 8.053 | Taurus | 177° 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 2002 (magnitude -0.5); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.