Planets TonightSaturn in 2011: brightness, position and events
Brightest+0.4around Apr 1
Closest (in table)8.615 au1289 million km
Farthest10.666 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year+0.5
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-04 08:56 | Opposition | +0.4 | 8.614 | Virgo | 177.3° |
| 2011-10-14 06:12 | Conjunction with the Sun | +0.8 | 10.666 | 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 | 9.643 | Virgo | 84° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | +0.7 | 9.411 | Virgo | 98° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | +0.7 | 9.141 | Virgo | 115° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.6 | 8.944 | Virgo | 129° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.5 | 8.785 | Virgo | 144° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.5 | 8.674 | Virgo | 159° W | Most of the night |
| Apr 1 | +0.4 | 8.615 | Virgo | 176° W | Most of the night |
| Apr 15 | +0.4 | 8.633 | Virgo | 168° E | Most of the night |
| May 1 | +0.5 | 8.725 | Virgo | 151° E | Most of the night |
| May 15 | +0.6 | 8.860 | Virgo | 137° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.7 | 9.080 | Virgo | 120° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.7 | 9.293 | Virgo | 107° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.8 | 9.554 | Virgo | 92° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.8 | 9.786 | Virgo | 79° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.9 | 10.053 | Virgo | 64° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.9 | 10.249 | Virgo | 52° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.9 | 10.445 | Virgo | 37° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.9 | 10.564 | Virgo | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.8 | 10.646 | Virgo | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | +0.8 | 10.666 | Virgo | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | +0.8 | 10.625 | Virgo | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.8 | 10.537 | Virgo | 28° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | +0.8 | 10.383 | Virgo | 43° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.8 | 10.207 | Virgo | 56° 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 2011 (magnitude +0.4); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.