Our Solar System

Planet at opposition · 18 October 2027

Saturn at opposition 2027

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 1.25 billion km from Earth.

380days 11hours 44minutes 45seconds

Next: Saturn at opposition, 30 October 2028

OppositionMonday 18 October 2027, 02:11 UTC

See it in 3D ↓
Opposition
02:11 UTC
18 October 2027
Distance
1.25 billion km
8.33 AU
Brightness
Magnitude 0.0
visible to the eye
Size
20.0″
arcseconds across
Constellation
Pisces
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 Pisces, as bright as the brightest stars, and easy to spot.

FromSaturn at its highest
London45°
New York56°
Delhi68°
São Paulo60°
Sydney49°

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 13 degrees towards us, opening year by year after the 2025 ring plane crossing. 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: 1.25 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 →

Get a reminder

We email you a day or two before, with the time. Leave your email once and we send a code to confirm it; nothing else arrives unless you ask for it.

Questions

When is Saturn at opposition in 2027?

On 18 October 2027 at 02:11 UTC.

How bright will Saturn be?

About magnitude 0.0, as bright as the brightest stars, and easy to spot.

Where do I look for Saturn?

In Pisces: 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?

30 October 2028, when it will be 1.23 billion km away.

More in the sky

4 October 2026Saturn at opposition1.26 billion km · magnitude 0.3 21 October 2026Orionids 2026Up to 20 an hour · 78% Moon 17 November 2026Leonids 2026Up to 15 an hour · 55% Moon 25 November 2026Uranus at opposition2.76 billion km · magnitude 5.7 14 December 2026Geminids 2026Up to 150 an hour · 25% Moon 4 January 2027Quadrantids 2027Up to 80 an hour · 12% Moon

Every eclipse, meteor shower and planet at opposition, or the whole calendar. Tonight's planets are on what is visible tonight.

Sources