Page 74 - All About Space 68 - 2017 UK

STARGAZER

This month’s planets

Ringed gas giant Saturn is still visible during the evenings, while Jupiter
continues to rule a portion of the night as summer comes to a close

Planet of the month

Saturn

Constellation: Ophiuchus
Magnitude: 0.4
AM/PM: PM
SERPENS
SCUTUM OPHIUCHUS

SERPENS

Pluto
SAGITTARIUS

Saturn
LIBRA

S SW W

22:00 BST on 6 September

For the amateur astronomer and casual sky-watcher, to see its famous system of rings and largest moon, flying into, and being destroyed by, Saturn’s churning,
Saturn won’t be a very impressive or eye-catching Mercury-sized Titan, looking like a tiny star next to cloud-curdled atmosphere. If you’re thinking that’s
object this month. With a very respectable visual the planet itself. With high magnification and steady a waste of a good space probe and wondering why
magnitude of 0.4 — making it almost as bright as the seeing you’ll see dark gaps in the rings, and most likely NASA doesn’t keep exploring with Cassini, it’s because
popular star Arcturus — it is, technically, easily visible spot some of the smaller moons too. Cassini is almost out of fuel. The deliberate kamikaze
to the naked eye, but Saturn is not conveniently placed So, if Saturn isn’t that impressive then why is it dive into Saturn will avoid risk of an out-of-control,
in the sky for observation at the moment. Exiled to the our ‘Planet of the Month’? It’s because this is a very fuel-drained Cassini crashing into two Saturnian
star-barren southern wastelands of the constellation important and emotional time for amateur and moons, which astronomers now think may have life,
Ophiuchus, with the frothy star clouds of the Milky professional astronomers who observe and study or at least the building blocks of life. The last thing the
Way to its left, and ruddy Antares and the rest of Saturn. This month, after over 20 years in space — scientists hunting for extraterrestrial life on Titan and
Scorpius to its right, Saturn will look like a lonely 13 of those spent exploring the glittering rings, icy Enceladus want are for those worlds’ icy surfaces to be
yellow-white ‘star’ low above the southern horizon. moons, and turbulent atmosphere of Saturn — the showered with poisonous fuel and radioactive debris.
And that’s the problem: Saturn will be so low in Cassini probe will end its historic mission, which has There will be many images taken during Cassini’s
the sky that if your observing site has any trees or revolutionised our understanding and appreciation of final days in the media and on space websites, but you
buildings in its direction they will hide it from your the enormous gas giant. can always take a moment to find Saturn in the sky
view. If you find somewhere with a clear view it will Unlike other probes that have retired by gently to see for yourself where all the action is taking place,
definitely be worth aiming your telescope at Saturn flying off into space, Cassini will end its mission by and maybe whisper, “That’ll do, Cassini. That’ll do…”

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