October 4, 2026: Saturn reaches opposition today, rising at sunset and setting at sunrise. Follow the Ringed Wonder through Cetus and track its retrograde motion with a binocular until December.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:51 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 6:27 p.m. CDT. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Saturn at Opposition
Saturn is at opposition at 7:29 a.m. Central Time. This occurs when Earth passes between the planet and the sun. The Ringed Wonder is closest to our planet, nearly 785 million miles away, and at its brightest. The planet is not as bright as Venus or Jupiter, but it outshines all the stars in its region of the sky.
The planet is not as bright as average because the highly reflective rings are tilted only about 10° along our line of sight.
Through a telescope, the rings are easy to spot along with a direct view of the southern hemisphere. The best views occur when the planet is above the atmosphere’s blurring and dimming effects, from about two hours after sunset until two hours before sunrise.
Where to See Saturn
At opposition, Saturn rises at sunset and sets at sunrise.
During this morning’s twilight, Saturn is about 10° above the western horizon.
Saturn rises in the east at sunset. Two hours later, it is about 20° above the east-southeastern horizon. By midnight, it is high in the south and near the western horizon during tomorrow morning’s twilight.
Retrograde
Saturn retrogrades in front of Cetus. The illusion is from the line of sight from Earth to Saturn that extends toward the distant starfield. Normally, the line moves eastward against the stars. As Earth overtakes the more-distant planets, the line of sight stops moving eastward and shifts westward, resulting in the westward motion that we observe.
Use a binocular to compare Saturn’s position with the nearby stars from week to week and track its retrograde until December 10.
Ask your neighborhood sky watcher to show you Saturn through a telescope or find a public telescope night at your local planetarium or astronomy club event.
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