Saturn in Opposition

This is about as close as we’ll get to Saturn this year, as Earth moves between the Sun and Saturn. It’s a great time to have a look at it through a telescope.

I took this picture from the west side of Lake Windermere. I’ve labelled the stars that form the Great Square of Pegasus, along with the Andromeda Galaxy, about 2.5 million light-years away and the most distant object we can see with the naked eye.

Toast is still too small to join me on these walks under the stars. There are too many coyotes and other critters wandering around in the dark. By the end of winter she’ll still be small, but I expect she’ll be out there with me, giving Orion’s dog, Sirius, a bark.

10 thoughts on “Saturn in Opposition”

  1. Jim R's avatar

    Jim R

    You are lucky to have so many stars in your view. One evening during our trip to the NW I got out my Astroscan telescope for a look at Saturn. Always fun to see those rings.

    Take care of Toast while she is young. You don’t want here being bothered by some bigger critters.

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  2. mountaincoward's avatar

    mountaincoward

    Superb to see the Andromeda Galaxy in your photo – I’d like to be able to see that but wouldn’t have much clue where to look. I generally navigate around the stars in relation to The Plough, Pleiades, Orion or Cassiopeia as those are the only ones I can readily recognise.

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    1. underswansea's avatar

      underswansea

      Hi Carol, I like the way you navigate the stars. Andromeda can be difficult to see unless it is clear without much artificial light. In can be located using one of the V’s of the W of Cassiopeia as a pointer. Take care.

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      1. mountaincoward's avatar

        mountaincoward

        Thanks for that – which V of the W and where in relation to it? Would I be able to see it on a clear night without artificial light with failing eyesight (it’s not very sharp now) and no telescope? I do have a monocular but I don’t think that would be very useful for stars really.

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      2. underswansea's avatar

        underswansea

        It is the second v in the w that points down. The Andromeda Galaxy can be difficult to see with artificial light around. To test how dark the skies are I will look for it or the Beehive Cluster. If you can see them the skies are dark. You would be able to see it with binoculars. Once you know where they are in relation to brighter stars you will find your eyes go directly to them and they become easier to see.

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