Photos from the EarthSky community of Saturn, at its closest and brightest for 2023.
Earth flew between Saturn and the sun on Sunday, August 27, 2023. It was Saturn’s yearly opposition, when the planet appeared opposite the sun in our sky. All this past week, Saturn has appeared more or less opposite the sun, rising in the east at sunset and visible all night, as seen from around the globe. EarthSky community photographers were busy catching it with telescopes, near the Blue supermoon on Wednesday night, August 30. Enjoy these photos! Submit your photo to EarthSky Community Photos.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Nancy Ricigliano in Long Island, New York, made this image of Saturn on August 27, the day Earth flew between Saturn and the sun. She wrote: “I was happy with the results of my image of Saturn at opposition. Even though the clouds kept coming and going I finally was able to get a 3-minute video to produce an image.” Thank you, Nancy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Makrem Larnaout in Tunis, Tunisia, shared this image of Saturn near opposition on August 28, 2023. Thank you, Makrem!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Martek Martek in Riverside, California, wrote: “This is Saturn, taken from a backyard telescope … It was taken near opposition. The rings are still bright.” Thank you, Martek!
Saturn near the August 30 Blue supermoon
In their months of opposition, planets always appear near Earth’s full moon. That’s because – in order to be at opposition – Earth must be between that outer planet and the sun. And – in order to appear full – Earth must be between the moon and sun. So the moon and a planet near opposition must be located in the same direction in Earth’s sky. Here are some photos of Saturn near opposition and near the August full moon, which was 2023’s closest supermoon, a Blue moon, and the last full moon of summer.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Linda Fritts in Maine posted this image of the bright supermoon and Saturn on August 30, 2023. Thanks, Linda, and shout out to Lars Jensen, who posted this photo.View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Teresa Molinaro in Bagheria, Sicily, Italy, captured this image on August 30, 2023, and wrote: “Saturn, top left, and the last full moon of this summer.” Thank you, Teresa!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Soumyadeep Mukherjee in Kolkata, India, took this photo on August 30, 2023, and wrote: “The image captures the Blue supermoon and Saturn in the skies of Kolkata, India.” Thank you, Soumyadeep!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Dolores Moreno in Highland, California, wrote: “Garden by Blue supermoon light.” Thank you, Dolores!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Deborah Sindell caught Saturn and the moon from Miami Beach, Florida, on August 30, 2023. Thank you, Deborah!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ahmad Naeem in Muzaffargarh City, Pakistan, wrote: “This is a composite or combination of 2 images captured through phone camera and processed entirely within the cell phone as well … Super Blue moon meets the Lord of the Rings, Saturn.” Thank you, Ahmad!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Paul C. Peh wrote from Hawaii: “The ‘Blue moon’ rising above a small cinder cone on the flanks of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Slightly above it is the planet Saturn.” Thank you, Paul!
Bottom line: Earth flew between the sun and Saturn last week, on August 27. Then Earth was between the sun and moon, at full moon on August 30. Photos here of Saturn and the moon!
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she was the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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