Saturn Returns to the Evening (overnight)

On the nights around Wednesday, July 9, the ringed planet Saturn will finally begin to rise before midnight for observers located at mid-northern latitudes – making Saturn available for evening viewing again after a long absence. During the wee hours, the bright, creamy-yellow planet will climb the southeastern sky below the Great Square of Pegasus. Due to Earth’s motion around the sun, the stars and distant planets rise about 4 minutes earlier each day – or about half an hour earlier with each passing week. Saturn will be returning just a few weeks before the red dot of Mars disappears into the western twilight. Then Saturn will reign until Jupiter enters the evening sky around mid-October.