Planets TonightSaturn in 2009: brightness, position and events
Brightest+0.5around Mar 15
Closest (in table)8.401 au1257 million km
Farthest10.447 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year+0.3
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-03-09 04:53 | Opposition | +0.5 | 8.394 | Leo | 177.7° |
| 2009-09-18 03:22 | Conjunction with the Sun | +1.0 | 10.448 | Virgo | 2.0° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +0.8 | 9.000 | Leo | 109° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | +0.7 | 8.792 | Leo | 124° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | +0.7 | 8.585 | Leo | 141° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.6 | 8.467 | Leo | 156° W | Most of the night |
| Mar 1 | +0.5 | 8.403 | Leo | 171° W | Most of the night |
| Mar 15 | +0.5 | 8.401 | Leo | 173° E | Most of the night |
| Apr 1 | +0.6 | 8.478 | Leo | 155° E | Most of the night |
| Apr 15 | +0.6 | 8.602 | Leo | 140° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +0.7 | 8.799 | Leo | 124° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +0.8 | 9.005 | Leo | 110° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.9 | 9.280 | Leo | 94° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.9 | 9.512 | Leo | 82° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +1.0 | 9.768 | Leo | 67° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.1 | 9.971 | Leo | 55° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +1.1 | 10.179 | Leo | 40° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +1.1 | 10.311 | Leo | 28° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.1 | 10.413 | Leo | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | +1.1 | 10.447 | Virgo | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | +1.1 | 10.426 | Virgo | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | +1.1 | 10.357 | Virgo | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.1 | 10.212 | Virgo | 39° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | +1.0 | 10.049 | Virgo | 51° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | +1.0 | 9.823 | Virgo | 66° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.9 | 9.601 | Virgo | 79° 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 2009 (magnitude +0.5); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.