Saturn Section - Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers

Saturn is the 2nd largest planet of our Solar System and the only one adorned with a ring system easily seen by even modest telescopes. While the Cassini spacecraft helped unlock many of Saturn's secrets, our goal is to continue to observe and record the subtle changes that take place on this dynamic planet to further our knowledge about it.

Saturn Blog

The Colors of Saturn

7/24/2024

Saturn Have you been following how the hues in Saturn’s southern hemisphere have been changing? It is always a bit subjective to gauge the true color of the planet, but clearly observers’ images show the frosty blue giving way as the southern hemisphere emerges from its winter.

Christophe Pellier, an avid planetary astronomer who maintains the excellent Planetary Astronomy website, has published his analysis of photometry and imaging of Saturn from the 2023 apparition that provides insight and some scientific measurement as to the colors of the planet and how they are changing as we move towards the equinox next year. You can find his discussion, analysis, and images here.

Catch the "Seeliger Effect"

8/1/2022

In two weeks Saturn will come to opposition, and with it an opportunity to witness the “Seeliger Effect” (or Opposition Surge). Named for German astronomer Hugo von Seeliger who first noticed in 1887 the brightening of the rings within roughly a day of opposition. This brightening of the rings is discernable in amateur telescopes, but to appreciate it you should take in the appearance of the rings several days ahead of opposition to better appreciate the change.

What causes this phenomenon? Scientists believe that “coherent backscattering” is responsible. The direct illumination of the rings from Earth’s perspective at opposition reflects off the irregular particles of the rings to produce a single, more intense light. As a result, if you catch the Seeliger Effect you are seeing evidence that the rings are made up of irregular particles rather than a solid body as was once thought.

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Saturn News Headlines

Saturn's Variable Heat Output
6/21/2024

A black and white logo

Description automatically generated Although it’s been 7 years since Cassini was in orbit around Saturn, the wealth of data it sent back continues to lead to new theories about the ringed planet. Scientists at the University of Houston in Texas recently determined that the planet varies in the amount of heat it pumps into space based on the season. This uneven heat generation leads to turbulence in Saturn's atmosphere that can trigger enormous storms across its north and south hemispheres.

Enceladus is Blanketed in a Thick Layer of Snow
1/13/2023

Saturn’s moon Enceladus is shrouded in a thick layer of snow. In some places, the downy stuff is 700 meters deep, new research suggests. Some of that water goes to form one of Saturn’s rings. But most of it falls back onto the moon’s surface as snow, Martin says. Understanding the properties of that snow — its thickness and how dense and compact it is — could help reveal Enceladus’ history, and lay groundwork for future missions to this moon.

Saturn's Atmosphere Impacts Aurorae
2/8/2022

Tiny Saturnian moon Mimas was thought to be a frozen, inert ice world. But thanks to recent investigation by scientists at the Southwest Research Institute, it appears that there is a “stealth” ocean within the little moon. This discovery comes in part from NASA's Cassini mission as it was counting down the end of its mission with the discovery of a curious libration in the moon's rotation, implying it’s geologically active and able to support an internal ocean.

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Observation Spotlight

Featured Saturn Image

Observer: Luigi Morrone
Equipment: C14 EDGE HD, Player One Uranus-C camera
As Saturn approaches equinox, its moons begin to perform transits like Jupiter. Here we see Tethys against the backdrop of the ring's shadow on the planet and Rhea's shadow on the clouds below

Event Calendar

Aug 30, 2024
Rhea & shadow transit Saturn (~3 hrs)

Sep 08, 2024
Saturn at opposition

Dec 04, 2024
Saturn at eastern quadrature

Full Saturn Section Calendar