Saturn - Opposition 2026

Wed Oct 07 2026

I got up at 1:30 and stayed out until about 2:30 to capture this. The seeing wasn’t great but it was still worth it in the end.

About this object

Type

Gas Giant Planet

Saturn is the second-largest planet and the jewel of the solar system, famous for its bright ring system of ice and rock. The rings, along with cloud banding and the moon Titan, make it one of the most rewarding targets for planetary imaging.

Equipment

• Telescope / Lens: Celestron C11
• Camera: ZWO ASI224MC
• Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6
• Filters: SVBony UV/IR Cut 1.25"
• Accessories: Celestron X-Cel 2x Barlow
• Software: Chris Garry Planetary Imaging PreProcessor (PIPP), Cor Berrevoets et al. Registax, Emil Kraaikamp AutoStakkert!, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight

Astrophotography by David Joyce, AstroDavido.