How to Find Saturn with a Telescope

For amateur astronomers, there are few sights more beautiful in the night sky than Saturn. The planet's ring system has intrigued scientists for centuries. Galileo Galilei first observed Saturn's rings in 1610 and described the planet as having "ears." Today, anyone with even a small telescope can see Saturn and its mysterious rings system.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Binoculars or a small telescope with at least 20x magnification. (Saturn's details become apparent with a telescope with a 4-inch or larger aperture.)

1. Saturn is easily visible to the naked eye, appearing in the night sky as a bright yellow point of light.

2. Saturn's position in the night sky, along with the inclination or tilt of the planet's ring system, changes over time. A good resource for determining where Saturn will be visible on any given night is the NightSky Sky Calendar, accessible at Space.com

3. After you have determined where to find Saturn, find a spot to set up your telescope as far away from background light as possible. Make sure the telescope is mounted in such a manner that it won't wobble.

4. Once you find Saturn with the naked eye, aim your telescope in the approximate direction of the planet. If your telescope has interchangeable eye pieces, start with the one that offers the lowest magnification. Many telescopes have viewfinders; small low-power telescopes attached to the main telescope. Locate the planet in the viewfinder. As the Earth rotates, Saturn will move out of the telescope's view. You will have to make occasional adjustments to keep the planet in your telescope's viewing field.

References

• Sky and Telescope Magazine

Resources

• NightSky Sky Calendar