Starwatch: Saturn makes its closest approach to Earth of the year

It is the closest planet to Earth this year.

The moon is 8.86 stars from Earth. An astronomy unit is the distance from the sun to the earth. Roughly 150m km is equal to 1.3 billion km away. At an average speed of 9.69 km a second, Saturn is travelling at an average speed of 28.6 years. Earth travels between it and the sun almost three times as fast as it travels between it and the moon.

Astronomers call this close pass ofSaturn anopposition because it is seen from the opposite side of the sky. Our perspective makes the distant planet appear to backtrack as Earth passes by. For a few months, the planet doesn't move through the constellations. The motion started on 4 June and will last until 23 October.

On August 16th, the view will be looking south. The planet will appear at about midnight in Australia.