Saturn Will Be Pretty Close To New York This Weekend

If you're looking for something interesting to do this weekend, there are tons of great events that are happening all over the Empire State. Summer in New York is nearing its end, which is actually a good thing because there are many more things available to partake in.

The Great New York State Fair is underway in Syracuse and there are tons of great concerts scheduled that you may want to put on your to-do list. In addition to that, the Buffalo Bills are back for another year of great New York football, along with the Buffalo Bisons season continuing until at least the middle of September.

All of that means there are several great things that can go on your end-of-summer bucket list, including the Buffalo Funk Fest. However, if you're looking for something a little different to do this weekend, you'll have the opportunity to see something that doesn't happen all that often.

Saturn Will Be In Opposition This Weekend

The 2nd largest planet in our solar system will be very close to Earth this weekend. In fact, the 6th planet in our solar system is normally around 886 million miles away (about 80 light-minutes), and is going to be the closest it ever gets at around 818 million miles away (about 73 light-minutes) when it goes into opposition.

According to NASA, when Saturn is in Opposition:

Saturn will be located directly opposite of the Sun – at opposition – on August 26-27, 2023, as the Earth orbits between the two. From our vantage point, the Sun’s illumination will allow Saturn to appear bigger and brighter in the sky in the weeks leading up to and after the opposition.
-NASA

Whether you have a pair of binoculars, or a telescope, or not, you will have a pretty good view of Saturn from New York this weekend.

Getty Images

Starting Saturday night and going into Sunday morning, if you take a look at the southwestern sky starting around 9 pm you should have a nice clear view of Saturn. It should reach its highest point around 1 a.m. and will be very visible until sunrise Sunday morning.

I'm a wanna-be stargazer so I am excited about the weekend.

The International Space Station

Initially constructed in 1998, the International Space Station (ISS) is approximately 250 miles above the earth's surface, traveling at 17,500 mph. The ISS orbits Earth every 90 minutes and completes around 15 orbits daily.

10 Reasons Han Solo is Basically a Texan in Space

If you ask most people who their favorite Star Wars character is, the odds of them naming anyone other than Han Solo are approximately three thousand seven hundred and twenty to one.

The loveable space pirate is pure swagger, and when you stop to think about it, he's probably the closest thing to a Texan out there in that galaxy far, far away.

Let's take a look at 10 reasons Han Solo would fit right in here in the Lone Star State.

Space Shuttle Columbia - 20 Years Ago

A look back to the tragic events of February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry sending a wide swath of debris over Deep East Texas.

Source: Saturn Will Be Pretty Close To New York This Weekend

Filed Under: NASA, Stargazing