Saturn's Rings Shine Extra Bright This July: How to Catch Them
July will be a great month to view the rings of Saturn. You can see them in any telescope that magnifies to at least 20 power, but the larger the aperture and the sharper the image, the more detail you can make out.
Tonight (July 9), Saturn is at opposition, when it lies on the opposite side of the sky from the sun. This is also when the planet's apparent size is greatest and it puts on an all-night performance with the greatest gleam, shining at magnitude +0.1. Compared to the 21 brightest stars, Saturn would rank seventh, just a shade dimmer than similarly hued Capella in Auriga, the charioteer, and a trifle brighter than blue-white Rigel in Orion, the hunter.
Saturn will rise above the east-southeast horizon as the sun sets in the west-northwest. At around 1 a.m. local daylight time, the ringed planet will appear due south, about one-third of the way up from the horizon to the point directly overhead. And by the break of dawn, Saturn will be dropping down toward setting, low in the west-southwest.
