As of today, Saturn will be at opposition – notable event for astronomy-lovers far and wide. But what exactly does this mean?

For a planet to be at opposition, the Earth must be situated directly between it and the sun. So, in this case, the Earth will be lying between Saturn and the Sun.

Planets will look bigger and brighter for a few weeks after the start of opposition – a treat for astronomers and stargazers!

Saturn orbits around the sun for about 29 and a half days, so its opposition takes place every 378 days. Other planets orbit at different speeds, so they reach opposition at different rates.

Locally, Saturn will be at its most prominent between 9pm tonight until 5:30am tomorrow morning, so grab your binoculars – or even a telescope if you have one – and find somewhere dark. With a strong enough lens, you can even observe Saturn’s famous rings!

Ideally, find a location that’s far away from major light sources, such as Selmun, L-Aħrax (Mellieħa), Armier (Mellieħa), Dingli Cliffs, Fomm ir-Riħ (Mġarr), Żebbuġ (Gozo) and Nadur (Gozo).

Are you looking forward to this celestial event?

 European Space Agency/Flickr, Davide Seddio/Flickr