On August 15, the giant planet with 29 moons—two of which NASA believes may harbor oceans, oxygen, and even life, namely Enceladus and Dione—will reach its closest point to Earth.
This planet is Saturn, the famous gas giant known for its stunning rings and its 29 moons of various shapes and sizes. According to calculations by astronomers, at 11:30 PM GMT on August 14, which corresponds to 6:30 AM on August 15 in Vietnam, this planet will be at its “opposition” point with the Sun.
This means it will be aligned with Earth and the Sun, marking the closest point to Earth in its orbit, providing you with the best opportunity to observe this planet this year.
Saturn – (Image: CASSINI/NASA)
From Vietnam’s perspective, this closest approach occurs in the morning, making it possible to observe the planet at a record brightness on the night of August 14 or 15.
Saturn is one of the planets that can be easily observed with the naked eye and is often referred to as the “gem of the Solar System” due to its unique appearance and the mysteries it holds.
According to NASA, Saturn will be visible for most of the night, rising above the southeastern horizon and gradually climbing higher in the southern sky. The constellation Capricornus will appear to be behind this planet.
Joe Rao, a night sky columnist for Space, stated that Saturn is shining at a brightness magnitude of +0.3, slightly brighter than Procyon, the eighth brightest star in the sky.
How to identify Saturn based on the Moon’s position on August 14 and 15 – (Image: SPACE)
Saturn is one of the planets that NASA has been “particularly attentive to,” especially after data from the Cassini spacecraft has continuously provided intriguing evidence of subsurface oceans, oxygen, and even clues about extraterrestrial life on two of its 29 moons, Enceladus and Dione.
Nasa even has plans to send landers and robotic explorers to Enceladus in the future, hoping to discover life beneath the moon’s icy crust. Enceladus has a frozen surface, but data suggests there may be a vast ocean beneath containing hydrothermal systems similar to those on Earth.
On Earth, hydrothermal systems not only warm certain areas of the ocean floor but also serve as a refuge for many organisms, believed to be where life on Earth originated.
