Planets TonightSaturn in 2020: brightness, position and events
Brightest+0.2around Jul 15
Closest (in table)9.000 au1346 million km
Farthest11.016 au
Events this year2
Brightest last year+0.1
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-01-14 00:15 | Conjunction with the Sun | +0.4 | 11.017 | Sagittarius | 0.0° |
| 2020-07-21 07:27 | Opposition | +0.1 | 8.995 | Sagittarius | 179.8° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +0.6 | 10.997 | Sagittarius | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | +0.5 | 11.016 | Sagittarius | 1° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +0.6 | 10.971 | Sagittarius | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.7 | 10.880 | Sagittarius | 29° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.7 | 10.732 | Sagittarius | 43° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.7 | 10.555 | Sagittarius | 56° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.6 | 10.302 | Capricornus | 71° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.6 | 10.074 | Capricornus | 84° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +0.5 | 9.808 | Capricornus | 99° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +0.5 | 9.584 | Capricornus | 113° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.4 | 9.342 | Capricornus | 130° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.3 | 9.181 | Capricornus | 144° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.2 | 9.054 | Capricornus | 160° W | Most of the night |
| Jul 15 | +0.2 | 9.000 | Sagittarius | 174° W | Most of the night |
| Aug 1 | +0.2 | 9.013 | Sagittarius | 168° E | Most of the night |
| Aug 15 | +0.3 | 9.086 | Sagittarius | 154° E | Most of the night |
| Sep 1 | +0.3 | 9.245 | Sagittarius | 137° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.4 | 9.423 | Sagittarius | 123° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.5 | 9.663 | Sagittarius | 107° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +0.5 | 9.891 | Sagittarius | 93° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +0.6 | 10.171 | Sagittarius | 77° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.6 | 10.390 | Sagittarius | 64° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +0.7 | 10.610 | Sagittarius | 49° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.7 | 10.767 | Sagittarius | 36° 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 July 2020 (magnitude +0.2); 2 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.