Look to Scotts Valley Skies for Peak Visibility of Saturn Friday

By Todd Richissin

Need a cheap date Friday night (or a cheap way to entertain the kids)?

Saturn, of course, is the most recognizable of the planets out there - its 3D-ish appearance makes it, in the eyes of many, the jewel of the solar system.

NASA has some great photos and video of Saturn, but it’s the alignment of the planets and the sun that should make for a great live show - and a photo opportunity that won’t come around again for years. 

The reason? Saturn’s entire system will be backlit by the sun.

And if you do take pictures, know this: NASA will be taking your picture, too - sort of.  

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft will be taking photos of Earth as it looks from Saturn.

As usual for celestial shows, your best viewing will be from a dark area unobscured by light pollution.

Thankfully, you can almost certainly count on the weather to cooperate for this celestial reveal. According to Weather.com, Scotts Valley skies should be clear by Friday evening.

Will you be attempting to catch a glimpse of Saturn this Friday? If so, where do you plan to go to watch? Tell us in the comments.