MOSCOW, September 6. /TASS/. Saturn, which will be directly opposite the Sun on September 8, will be a sight to see for anyone who looks up at the sky that evening, as the planet will come so close to the Earth that it will appear much brighter and larger than usual, the Moscow Planetarium's press service reported.

"Saturn's oppositions occur annually and repeat every 378 days. When Saturn passes the opposition point, it comes as close to Earth as possible. This makes it appear bright and large. <...> On the day of the opposition, which is September 8, 2024, Saturn will be at a distance of 8.66 astronomical units <...> (almost 1.3 billion km - TASS) from Earth," the message reads.

The opposition of planets is a configuration which puts their centers on a common line. The Earth is located between the Sun and the planet that is in opposition to the star.

"Saturn's luster will reach almost zero stellar magnitude (+0.57m) at this time, while the visible diameter of the planet will be 19.2 arc seconds. <...> [Earth's inhabitants] have a unique chance to view it in all details," the planetarium specified.

If the weather is fair in Moscow, Saturn will be visible from evening until dawn. It will reach its highest point in the sky around midnight. According to astronomer and head of the methodological support department of the Moscow Planetarium Lyudmila Koshman, the planet may be visible for about a month after September 8. Every year the opposition of Saturn occurs on alternate days. The distance between Saturn and the Earth at this time also differs.