Saturn's rings will be visible from the planet next week. During the Saturn opposition, the Earth will come in between the second-largest planet in the solar system and the sun.

The phenomenon will expose the famous rings coming from the huge celestial body. This rare experience will give the night sky a brilliant glow at the time.

When Will the Saturn Opposition Happen?

The planet Saturn will be visible from the Earth next week on Aug. 1 and 2.

Usually, people who have been stargazing for this event are already familiar that they are always after the luminous rings of the massive planet.

For those viewers who came from the West Coast, ready your equipment before 11 PM PT so that you can prepare what you need before watching. For those from the East Coast, the scheduled time for the Saturn opposition this year will be on Aug. 2 at 2 AM ET.

Earth Sky reported that Saturn will become the brightest body that you could see above the sky during the event.

This is also the time when the sun has completed setting down together with Venus. So, pay attention to the west direction of Jupiter since that is where you can see Saturn.

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How to View Saturn Opposition This 2021

Farmer's Almanac reported via ABC 13 that in order to successfully see Saturn's glowing rings, you need to have a telescope that's capable of viewing them.

According to Haley Brink, a meteorologist from CNN, those who hail from some parts of California, as well as the Midwest location, will be able to witness clear skies from Sunday night to Monday morning.

"A swath of cloudy skies will exist across the Northwest into the Rockies, across many southern states, and into the Northeast," Brink said.

The size of Saturn is not even close to Earth. To match its full size, we need to produce nine Earths. The enormous size of the ringed planet is somehow a trophy for astronomers and space enthusiasts.

Last year, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope witnessed the stunning photo of the glowing Saturn. The international space agency even called the planet the "Lord of the Rings." 

Best Telescopes to Use For Viewing Saturn's Rings

In an article written by Popular Mechanics about the Saturn opposition in 2019, you could start looking for the following telescopes to enhance your cosmic viewing experience this coming August.

  • Celestron FirstScope

  • AWB OneSky (Astronomers Without BorderS)

  • Levenhuk Skyline

  • Celestron NexStar 130 SLT

  • Orion 8945 SkyQuest XT8

  • Celestron NexStar 6 SE

  • Orion SkuQuest XT10i

  • Celestron NexStar 8 SE 

Indeed, this once-in-a-lifetime experience could be thrilling for astronomers, both professional and amateur ones.

For those who are willing to witness this occasional sighting, it would be twice the fun when you have a wide range of telescopes that you can choose from for such cosmic events.

Related Article: Saturn's Rings Won't Look Like This For 15 Years: Here's How To See Them

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Written by Joseph Henry

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