In the early evening, the full Moon will move in front of Saturn which, though millions of miles more distant is still very bright and easy to spot. Because the Moon will also be bright, it will drown out nearly all other stars in the region, making Saturn even easier to find. City lights will actually simplify the viewing by outshining other stars.

What you'll see

Saturn will disappear behind the Moon in an event known as an "occultation." About an hour later, it will re-emerge on the other side of the Moon.

The occultation will be visible in all of the eastern United States and west to a line that runs from southeastern California through Colorado and into Minnesota. All of Europe and much of western Russia will see the event early Saturday morning.

No equipment is needed. But binoculars might allow for a better view.

"Saturn may be difficult to see with the naked eye because of the glare from the nearby Moon, so I'd recommend using a pair of binoculars," said Kevin Conod, an astronomer at Newark Museum's Dreyfuss Planetarium in New Jersey.

"You'll need at least a small telescope to see Saturn's rings," Conod said. "A telescope will also let you follow Saturn right to the edge of the Moon. Watching it emerge from behind the Moon is particularly interesting."

Joe Rao, a meteorologist and astronomy writer, said the event is a perfect opportunity to simply find a planet -- Saturn -- in the night sky. He suggests going out just after dusk and locating the Moon, which will be low in the northeast. Saturn will look like a bright star, visible just to the left of the Moon, he said.

The creeping Moon

"You'll be able to see how the Moon creeps," Rao explained. "It will look more like Saturn is creeping toward the Moon. This will be an illusion." The motion is actually that of the Moon moving on its regular orbit around Earth.

At a precise time (see times for your U.S. city) Saturn will disappear. About an hour later, it will re-emerge on the other side of the Moon.

Rao suggests that by watching the two objects continue to separate, you can see the pace of the Moon's travels. Each hour, the Moon will move a distance roughly equal to its diameter in the sky.

Now is an excellent time to observe Saturn through a telescope. Its rings are tilted toward Earth, offering a fine look at them. This view will remain good through 2003, but by 2009 the rings will be edge-on and barely visible.

Rao said he first saw Saturn's rings through a small telescope at age 11, when watching a similar occultation. "I was stunned," he said.

And if you've ever thought finding something with a telescope was difficult, then Friday night will be your kind of night. "Just take your telescope out, point it toward the Moon, and it will be virtually impossible to miss Saturn," Rao said.

Don't miss another celestial event!

Free Daily Newsletter    Enter your e-mail

Find Your City and Time Learn precisely when the occultation will occur, as seen from hundreds of U.S. cities.

More to come

Friday's occultation will be repeated on Dec. 28. Both events can be seen as warm-ups for an even more dramatic one coming early next year.

On Feb. 20, 2002, Saturn will move behind the dark portion of a first quarter Moon.

"You can see the ball and rings disappear behind seeming nothingness," Rao said. "That will be absolutely spectacular to watch."

For residents in the eastern United States, the next favorably-placed nighttime occultation of Saturn won't happen until the year 2037, he said.