The rings of Saturn should be visible in even the smallest telescope at 25x. The image pair on the right suggest how the ringed planet might look through a small telescope on a mediocre night (top) and through a larger, better telescope on a night when the air is especially still (bottom). But don't expect Hubble-like performance from viewing Saturn with your backyard telescope. However, with time, patience, and a top-quality 4-inch or larger telescope, you can tease out more of the planet's secrets than many observers suspect. Sky & Telescope illustration source: NASA / Hubble Space Telescope The rotation brings the spot into view, crossing the center of the planet, and then disappearing around the other side.These images suggest how the ringed planet Saturn might will look when seen through a telescope with an aperture 4 inches (100 mm) in diameter (top) and through a larger instrument with an 8-inch aperture (bottom). The spot is visible for about two hours during the planet’s rapid rotation for nearly an hour before and after the prime time. The planet is in a favorable location to see the spot through telescopes across the Americas. CST, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is visible in the center of the planet in the southern hemisphere through a telescope. With Mercury and Venus soon entering a darker evening sky, look for the five bright planets in a simultaneous display with the moon beginning in 20 days.Īt 8:52 p.m. This planet display is occurring earlier each evening. The moon is higher than Mars, to the Red Planet’s upper right.
Mars is about the same height above the horizon as the Ringed Wonder, in the east.
Saturn is in the southwest, about 20° above the horizon. Tomorrow evening the moon and planet Uranus appear in the same binocular field of view.Īt 2.5 hours after sundown, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are nicely placed in the sky. The Sky Calendar panel above shows the moon compared to the starfield and the planets during several nights this month. Saturn is one-third of the way up in the south-southwest. For those wanting a view of the two planets, they begin to appear in the western sky in a few evenings during brighter evening twilight.Īn hour after sundown, the bright gibbous moon, 90% illuminated is one-third of the way up in the east-southeast, nearly halfway from bright Jupiter to Mars that is low in the east-northeast. Venus sets thirty-eight minutes after sunset and Mercury follows 10 minutes later. Venus and Mercury continue their slow crawl into the evening sky, setting after the sun. To view a sample issue, visit Here is today’s planet forecast:Ĭhart Caption – 2022, December: A Sky Calendar blended panel showing the moon and planets after sundown. Subscribe for $12.00 per year, starting anytime, from Sky Calendar, Abrams Planetarium, Michigan State University, 755 Science Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824. He enjoys being outdoors sharing the wonders of the night sky. Victor, retired staff astronomer at the planetarium, originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968, and still produces issues occasionally, including the December 2022 issue. The publication includes an evening star map showing the prominent stars and planets. Daily panels or blended panels show the visibility of bright planets and the moon. Major sky events for each month are portrayed in a traditional calendar format. Support the Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location. SUMMARY FOR VENUS AS AN EVENING STAR, 2022-2023Ĭhicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:02 a.m.
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