Over the course of my previous observing sessions I have taken every opportunity to take in a view of the magnificent outer planet Saturn. A small telescope or a pair of high powered binoculars will reveal some of the moons as well as the majestic rings which are a fantastic sight to behold. Saturn can currently be found under the constellation of Leo just below the star Chertan (a simple finder chart can be downloaded from here), and at magnitude 0.93 it’s looking pretty bright. From 21:30 UT onwards Saturn is well placed for observation and is on show the whole night/morning through, not beginning to set until 06:19 UT. From my own experiences so far (using a pair of 25×100 binoculars) I have been able to observe the rings as well as two moons: Titan and Hyperion. However for a truly in-depth observation I would highly recommend a telescope with a long focal length - a 60mm refractor with a minimum focal length of 800mm will easily be up to the task.
Physically Saturn is very similar to Jupiter - composed mainly of hydrogen and helium with trace amounts of ethane, ammonia, methane, phosphine and acetylene. What differentiates Saturn from Jupiter is it’s stunning yet mysterious system of rings. Made from fragments of ice and rock, the rings extend 4,ooo miles above the cloud decks of Saturn out to 46,250 miles. The material in these rings is made up of 99.9 percent pure water ice and range in size from dust particels to objects a few meters across. There are various theories regarding the formation of the rings - the French scientist Édouard Roche promoted the idea that the rings were the detritus of a moon torn apart by tidal forces after it strayed too close to Saturn. Others suggest that the rings are the remains of the material from which Saturn was formed or the debris from a small moon that was obliterated by a comet/asteroid impact. The formation of the rings will probably forever remain a mystery, but either way they are one of the most awe inspiring marvels in our cosmic backyard. So the next time you are out observing, take a moment to turn your binoculars or telescope on to this wonderful planet and drink in the view.
[Image editied: 18.02.09]