Space Time
Saturn at opposition, 2026
On October 5, 2026, Saturn reaches opposition at magnitude 0.2. It rises at sunset, stands highest around midnight, and sets at dawn. The rings and Titan show in any small telescope.
About the 2026 opposition
Saturn is visible from dusk to dawn near opposition. Its rings are opening gradually after the 2025 edge-on alignment, and they should brighten briefly around opposition because of the Seeliger effect.
Brightness across the apparition
Visual magnitude (lower = brighter), computed daily. The gold dot marks the peak.
Apparent size
Equatorial disc diameter in arcseconds. Telescope views are best in the weeks around the peak.
Month by month
| Month | Magnitude | Disc | Distance | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | 0.7 | 16.8″ | 9.90 AU | Psc |
| Jul 2026 | 0.7 | 17.5″ | 9.49 AU | Psc |
| Aug 2026 | 0.5 | 18.5″ | 8.99 AU | Psc |
| Sep 2026 | 0.3 | 19.3″ | 8.60 AU | Psc |
| Oct 2026 | 0.2 | 19.7″ | 8.44 AU | Cet |
| Nov 2026 | 0.4 | 19.4″ | 8.55 AU | Cet |
| Dec 2026 | 0.6 | 18.7″ | 8.90 AU | Cet |
| Jan 2027 | 0.7 | 17.7″ | 9.40 AU | Cet |
| Feb 2027 | 0.8 | 16.8″ | 9.88 AU | Cet |
Watch it happen
Space Time is a free 3D universe explorer in your browser. Jump to opposition night and watch Saturn at its real position and brightness, or generate the full ephemeris table yourself and export it as CSV. Open the simulation.