when and what time to watch it?

2024-09-06 14:50:31

Photo description for the visually impaired: Saturn and some of its moons. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Matt Tiscareno (SETI Institute), Matt Hedman (University of Idaho), Maryame El Moutamid (Cornell University), Mark Showalter (SETI Institute), Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester), Heidi Hammel (AURA). Image processing: J. DePasquale (STScI))

The Saturn opposition in Guatemala 2024 It is an astronomical event in September that will allow the Guatemalans who love astronomy can see the ringed planet in all its glory. During this phenomenon, it will appear brighter and larger in the night sky. How cool!

Saturn opposition in Guatemala 2024

The opposition occurs when the Sun, Earth and Saturn line up in a straight line. Right now, Earth is between the Sun and Saturn, making the planet at its closest point to us. This alignment happens about once a year, as the ringed planet’s orbit is much wider than Earth’s.

During opposition, the planet will be brighter and easier to observe, especially with telescopes. To the naked eye, it will appear as a yellow dot in the sky, but with a telescope you will be able to see the details of its rings and some of its moons. Also, since Saturn will be “opposite” the Sun, it will be visible from dusk to dawn, making tonight the ideal time to observe it.

It is called planetary opposition because the planet and the Sun are in opposite positions in the sky, as seen from Earth, approximately 180 degrees from the solar star. This phenomenon only occurs with planets exteriorsthat is, those that are farther from the Sun than the Earth, like Jupiter and Saturn.

Photo description for visually impaired people: Graphic showing planetary opposition. (Credit: NASA)

The Seeliger effect and improved visibility

Another phenomenon that contributes to the spectacular nature of Saturn’s opposition is the Seeliger effectThis effect occurs when sunlight shines directly on the planet’s rings, making them glow more brightly. The particles in the rings reflect sunlight several times, which enhances the visibility and brightness of the rings from Earth.

Time and day to see the opposition of Saturn

This year, opposition will be reached at 10:27 p.m. —Guatemala time— on September 7, extending throughout the night and early morning of September 8. This will be the best time to enjoy the phenomenon, as the planet will be at its brightest and closest to Earth.

Five curious facts about Saturn

• Gas giantIt is the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter, and is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium.
• Spectacular and thin rings: Its famous rings are the most visible of any planet. Although they appear very wide and solid from a distance and extend for thousands of kilometers, they are actually extremely thin.
• Many moons: Has at least More than 140 known moonsTitan being the largest.
• Short day, long year: A day on Saturn, the time it takes to rotate on its axis, lasts only 10.7 hours, but a year, the time it takes to orbit the Sun, lasts about 29.5 Earth years.
• Floats in the water: If there were a large enough ocean, it could float on it, since its density is lower than that of water. This makes it the only planet in the Solar System that has a density lower than water.

Photo description for visually impaired people: A close-up view of Saturn’s planet and its rings is shown. (Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)

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