2024, January 1-7: Saturn in Southwest after Sundown

January 1-7, 2024: Saturn is in the southwest after sundown. Through a telescope the planet’s rings and moon Titan are visible.

2024, January 4: Saturn is in the southwest after sundown.
Chart Caption – 2024, January 4: Saturn is in the southwest after sundown. Saturn in Southwest after Sundown

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Summaries of Current Sky Events
Summary for Venus as a Morning Star, 2023-24

Two bright planets are easily visible during the evening hours.  Bright Jupiter is in the southeast as darkness falls, while Saturn is in the southwest.

Saturn in the Sky

The Ringed Wonder is not as bright as the Jovian Giant, but it is brighter than most stars in the sky tonight.  It is slowly moving eastward in front of Aquarius’ dim stars.

An hour after sundown, find it about 30° above the southwest horizon.  That’s about one-third of the way from the horizon to overhead.

The planet nearly makes an equilateral triangle with Lambda Aquarii (λ Aqr on the chart), and Skat, the Aquarian’s leg.  The pattern is about 8° on a side.  The two stars are difficult to see in regions with considerable outdoor lighting.  In rural areas, the distant stars are easily visible.

To verify Saturn’s identity, the star Fomalhaut, slightly dimmer than the planet, is about 20° to the lower left of the planet and over 15° above the west-southwest horizon.

Saturn is the slowest of the bright planets, revolving around the sun in about 30 years.  It does not move far eastward each year, from this slow rate

Through a binocular, if held steadily, Saturn’s rings might be visible as tiny lines on either side of the planet.

Telescopic View

2024, January 4: Through a telescope at 150x magnification, Saturn, the rings, and the moon Titan are visible. Saturn in Southwest after Sundown
Chart Caption – 2024, January 4: Through a telescope at 150x magnification, Saturn, the rings, and the moon Titan are visible.

Through a telescope, the planet appears as a yellow-orange globe.  A careful look may reveal parallel yellow and orangish atmospheric bands. The bright rings, orbiting ice debris acting as individual tiny moons, are easily visible, making the planet the solar system’s crown jewel.

Titan

Slipping into shadow, the south polar vortex at Saturn's moon Titan still stands out against the orange and blue haze layers that are characteristic of Titan's atmosphere. Images like this, from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, lead scientists to conclude that the polar vortex clouds form at a much higher altitude -- where sunlight can still reach -- than the lower-altitude surrounding haze.
Chart Caption – Slipping into shadow, the south polar vortex at Saturn’s moon Titan still stands out against the orange and blue haze layers that are characteristic of Titan’s atmosphere. Images like this, from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, lead scientists to conclude that the polar vortex clouds form at a much higher altitude — where sunlight can still reach — than the lower-altitude surrounding haze. (NASA Photo)

At about magnification of 150x, the planet’s largest moon, Titan, is visible.  The moon is veiled in clouds and has a distinct orange tint, but the globe is not visible at this magnification.

Titan is the second largest moon in the solar system, after Jupiter’s Ganymede.  Both are larger than Mercury.

This week take a look for the Ringed Wonder in the southwestern sky after sundown.

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