Planets TonightSaturn in 2008: brightness, position and events
Brightest+0.3around Mar 1
Closest (in table)8.297 au1241 million km
Farthest10.340 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year+0.0
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-02-24 18:47 | Opposition | +0.2 | 8.291 | Leo | 178.2° |
| 2008-09-04 10:59 | Conjunction with the Sun | +0.8 | 10.341 | Leo | 1.7° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +0.5 | 8.713 | Leo | 122° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | +0.4 | 8.533 | Leo | 136° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | +0.3 | 8.374 | Leo | 155° W | Most of the night |
| Feb 15 | +0.3 | 8.305 | Leo | 170° W | Most of the night |
| Mar 1 | +0.3 | 8.297 | Leo | 174° E | Most of the night |
| Mar 15 | +0.3 | 8.353 | Leo | 159° E | Most of the night |
| Apr 1 | +0.4 | 8.495 | Leo | 141° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.5 | 8.663 | Leo | 126° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +0.6 | 8.897 | Leo | 111° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +0.6 | 9.122 | Leo | 97° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.7 | 9.404 | Leo | 81° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.8 | 9.629 | Leo | 69° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.8 | 9.863 | Leo | 55° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.8 | 10.038 | Leo | 43° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.8 | 10.203 | Leo | 29° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.9 | 10.292 | Leo | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.8 | 10.340 | Leo | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | +0.9 | 10.327 | Leo | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | +0.9 | 10.253 | Leo | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | +0.9 | 10.141 | Leo | 35° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.0 | 9.950 | Leo | 50° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.9 | 9.757 | Leo | 63° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | +0.9 | 9.507 | Leo | 78° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.9 | 9.276 | Leo | 92° 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 March 2008 (magnitude +0.3); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.