Go outside tonight after the sky is dark enough to see the Big Dipper. Look for the 3 stars that form the "handle" of the dipper. Follow an arc made by these stars toward the western horizon. The first star you come to is bright, orange Arcturus. Keep going and you see a bright blue star, this is Spica. Looking to the left of Spica is a light as bright as Spica, but one that is NOT a star. It is the planet Saturn.
On July 19th the Cassini Spacecraft photographed Earth (the pale blue dot in the image) from its orbit around Saturn. A stunning image to say the least.
Yet if you want to see Saturn you need to go out sometime in August or September, because as we get into October Saturn will slowly get lost in the glare of the setting Sun.
If you're into planetary conjunctions (when two or more planets appear close together in the sky), keep watching Saturn and bright Venus. Venus will be the brightest object in the western sky throughout August and September. But on the evening of September 30 Venus, Saturn and tiny Mercury will be together in the sunset twilight. Saturn and Venus should be easy to see, but Mercury is usually a little tougher. A clear horizon is a must for locating the innermost planet of our solar system.
After summer gives way to late Fall, Saturn will be lost to sight; unless you're willing to get up before dawn in the dead of winter. Otherwise you will have to wait until Spring, when the constellation Virgo , and Saturn are once again prominent in the evening sky.
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