Saturn reaches yearly closest point as Guwahati Planetarium hosts skywatching

Guwahati, Oct 3: Skywatchers will get a ringside seat to a celestial spectacle from Sunday, with Saturn arriving at its closest and brightest position of the year and the city's Planetarium lining up telescopes for an eight-day public viewing programme. The Guwahati Planetarium will organise live telescope-viewing sessions on its premises from October 4 to October 11, between 6 pm and 7.30 pm every evening. Besides Saturn and its celebrated rings, visitors will also be shown other interesting objects in the night sky. The timing coincides with Saturn reaching ‘opposition’ on October 4. The phenomenon occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and Saturn, placing the three celestial bodies in an almost straight line. From the Earth, Saturn consequently appears on the side of the sky opposite the Sun.