Saturn at its Best!

Saturn is easy to find an hour after sunset on mid-August evenings.    At 10:00 p.m it will be about 27 degrees up off the southern horizon.  It appears to the naked eye as a moderately bright, beige-colored "star."

In small telescopes, it blooms into a glorious gem.  This year, the North pole of the planet is tilted as far towards us as they get.  Its enormous rings- which are so big that they would just squeeze in the gap between the Earth and our Moon- are at their best right now. 

if you have a small telescope, why not take a look!

And, next year, be sure to visit the John Glenn Astronomy Park, when our giant telescope is up and running.

Saturn as seen in the southern sky just after 10:00 p.m. during the middle of August.

Saturn, as imaged by Columbus Astronomical Society Member Joe Renzetti on August 8, 2017.