Planets, good from here
Saturn at opposition
Saturn is up all night and at its brightest for the year. Its rings are nearly edge-on, a rare sight.
- When
- Monday, 18 October 2027, 02:18 CAT
- Best time
- 22:00 to 01:30 CAT on Monday, 18 October 2027
- Where to look
- North, high around midnight
- From Zimbabwe
- Good from here. Around midnight Saturn is about 65 degrees up in the north.
Saturn reaches opposition on 18 October 2027 in Pisces, rising at sunset and highest around midnight. Its rings were edge-on to Earth in 2025 and are still opening slowly, so a telescope shows them as a thin, bright line or narrow ellipse.
Tips for watching
Any telescope magnifying 30 times or more shows the rings, and often the moon Titan nearby.
Times are Central Africa Time, worked out for Harare; other towns in Zimbabwe differ by a few minutes. Source: Computed for Harare with Astronomy Engine.