Moon near Saturn November 28 and 29

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view from your location, try Stellarium online.

Moon near Saturn on November 28 and 29

A bright waxing crescent moon is passing Saturn on the evenings of November 28 and 29, 2022. The waxing crescent moon is up as darkness falls. It appears almost half-lighted, since the 1st quarter moon will fall a few days from now, on November 30.

Saturn reached its yearly opposition on August 14, 2022. That’s when Earth was passing between Saturn and the sun, placing the ringed planet opposite the sun in our sky. Now Earth has moved on in its smaller, faster orbit around the sun, and Saturn is no longer visible all night. So, in November 2022, we in the Northern Hemisphere are seeing Saturn low in the southern sky at nightfall (it’s northward, or closer to overhead, as seen from Earth’s Southern Hemisphere). And, in late November, Saturn sets around 10 p.m. local time … that’s the time on your clock no matter where you are on the globe.

Saturn has faded a bit from its maximum brightness for the year, which occurred around the time of opposition in August. But the planet is still shining at a bright +0.8 magnitude, making it as bright or brighter than the brightest stars.

Even small telescopes will reveal Saturn’s glorious rings. Plus, with a telescope, you might catch a glimpse of one or more of Saturn’s 82 moons.

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Later, use Saturn to find Capricornus

Saturn is currently located in the dim constellation Capricornus the Sea-Goat. And the moon can lead you to Saturn, and then Saturn can help you find the faint constellation Capricornus. So in the coming evenings, after the moon moves on, use Saturn as your guide to find the dim stars of Capricornus. Just be aware that Capricornus is faint. You’ll need a dark sky to see its stars clearly.

Capricornus is one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac. Its stars are only 3rd and 4th magnitude, too dim to see in all but the darkest skies. However, this constellation has a distinctive shape – that of an arrowhead – making it is easy to pick out if your sky is dark.

Bottom line: Look for the waxing crescent moon near Saturn on the evenings of November 28 and 29, 2022. Then when the moon moves away, find Saturn and look for an arrowhead shape in the stars around Saturn. This is the constellation Capricornus the Sea Goat.

For more great observing events in the coming weeks, visit EarthSky’s night sky guide