Saturn and the Moon Are Going to Be Right Next to Each Other. When to See It [CNET]

The moon is in conjunction with every planet about once a month but it doesn’t usually get this close.

The moon is in conjunction with every planet about once a month but it doesn’t usually get this close.

The last week of August is going to be great for night sky and space enthusiasts. We have a planet parade coming up on Aug. 23 where you’ll be able to see six planets in the night sky at the same time, along with a meteor shower that’s set to peak at the end of August. If you’re looking for something to gaze at before then, the moon and Saturn are going to be very close together on Aug. 20.

The two celestial bodies will be in conjunction — an astronomy term that describes when two planets or celestial bodies line up in our night sky — on the evening of Aug. 20. The moon being in conjunction with planets is a fairly common occurrence. However, for many parts of the US, the two will be exceptionally close together, which is a little more rare. 

When to see Saturn next to the moon

In terms of time, it depends on where you live. On the East Coast, Saturn will be behind the moon when it rises early in the evening. You’ll have to wait until around midnight for Saturn to peek out from behind the moon. After midnight, Saturn will continue to drift further away, making it even easier to see.

For the central regions of the US, all you need to do is move the time back based on your local time zone. For Central Time, Saturn will peek out around 11 p.m. the evening of Aug. 20, while Mountain Time will see Saturn appear around 10 p.m. local time. 

For Pacific Time, Saturn will have already cleared the moon by the time it rises, so folks in California, Oregon, and Washington will be able to see Saturn all night, although Saturn will be at its brightest around 10 p.m. or so.

If you decide to stay outside even later, you can also catch the remnants of the Jupiter-Mars conjunction that took place on Aug. 14. While the conjunction is technically over, the two planets will still be pretty close to each other in the night sky, giving you two things to look out for. With the Perseids meteor shower officially ending on Sept. 1, you may even see a shooting star if you’re lucky.

Will I need a telescope to see Saturn?

Fortunately, finding the moon is usually pretty easy. It’ll be between the southeastern and eastern skies for everyone in the US, and it’ll be almost full. From there, it’ll just be identifying Saturn, which will get easier as the night goes on and Saturn moves further away from the moon. 

Most people won’t need any help spotting Saturn. It’ll be bright enough in the night sky without the need for a telescope. However, since we’re getting a full moon on Aug. 19, which means the moon will be barely into its waning gibbous stage, it will be pretty bright so it may make spotting Saturn a little difficult at first. So binoculars or a telescope can help earlier in the evening when the two are quite literally right next to each other in the night sky. 

Fortunately, Saturn will be easily visible even in the suburbs, according to The Farmer’s Almanac. The only people who may need some help are those in big cities, where light pollution may make Saturn difficult to see. We recommend a magnification device if you live in a large city.

Are conjunctions with planets and the moon rare?

The moon being in conjunction with other planets is quite common. It happens about once a month and sometimes more often than that. 

During the evening of Aug. 21, the moon will be in conjunction with Neptune, although the two won’t be nearly as close together as Saturn and the moon will be. Then, on Aug. 25, the moon will be in conjunction with Uranus. Unfortunately, those two planets are difficult to see with the naked eye, so if you want to catch them, you’ll almost certainly need a telescope.