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Watching the full Moon rise over the east-northeast horizon, you will probably notice a rather bright yellowish-white “star” shining sedately just above and to the Moon’s right. That object is not a star, however, but the planet Saturn. |
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Currently, Saturn is at its best for 2007. It can be found to the west (right) of the famous “Sickle” of Leo—a backwards question mark-shaped star pattern, which contains Leo’s brightest star, Regulus, at the Sickle’s base. On Feb. 10, Saturn will be at opposition to the Sun, meaning it will be rising at sunset, reaches its highest point in the southern sky at midnight then drops down below the west-northwest horizon at sunrise. In other words, it’s now available for viewing all night long.
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