Planet at opposition · 4 October 2026

Saturn at opposition 2026

Saturn sits opposite the Sun in the sky. It rises at sunset, is up all night and shines at its brightest; a small telescope shows the rings. It will be 1.26 billion km from Earth.

1days 23hours 45minutes 45seconds

Next: Saturn at opposition, 18 October 2027

OppositionSunday 4 October 2026, 14:12 UTC

See it in 3D ↓

Opposition

14:12 UTC

4 October 2026

Distance

1.26 billion km

8.43 AU

Brightness

Magnitude 0.3

visible to the eye

Size

19.7″

arcseconds across

Constellation

Cetus

where to find it

Where and when to look

Saturn rises in the east as the Sun sets, climbs highest around midnight (1 am where clocks are on summer time) and sets in the west at sunrise, so it is up all night. Look for it in Cetus, as bright as the brightest stars, and easy to spot.

From	Saturn at its highest
London	40°
New York	51°
Delhi	63°
São Paulo	65°
Sydney	54°

It stays well placed for weeks either side of opposition, rising a few minutes earlier each night.

Through binoculars and telescopes

Any telescope that magnifies 25 times or more shows the rings. This year they are tipped 7 degrees towards us, still nearly edge-on after the 2025 ring plane crossing, a thin bright line through the planet. Titan, its biggest moon, shows as a star nearby.

What is happening

The Earth, on its faster inside track, overtakes Saturn and passes between it and the Sun. Saturn then sits opposite the Sun in our sky, fully lit, and is about as close to us as it gets this time round: 1.26 billion km away.

Saturn comes round to opposition about every year and a few days, a little later each year.

See it in 3D

Saturn, rendered live from today's real positions by our 3D viewer. Press play to load it here, or open the full viewer to fly anywhere in the solar system.

Saturn, rendered by the Our Solar System viewer

Open Saturn in the 3D viewer →

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Questions

When is Saturn at opposition in 2026?

On 4 October 2026 at 14:12 UTC.

How bright will Saturn be?

About magnitude 0.3, as bright as the brightest stars, and easy to spot.

Where do I look for Saturn?

In Cetus: low in the east at dusk, high in the south around midnight from the Northern Hemisphere (in the north from the Southern Hemisphere), and in the west by dawn.

Can I see Saturn without a telescope?

Yes. It is as bright as the brightest stars, and easy to spot.

When is the next Saturn opposition?

18 October 2027, when it will be 1.25 billion km away.