Saturn reached opposition on 4 June 2016, Saturn is even further south of the ecliptic this year (around -20°) than last and so is getting even lower in the sky.
The rings are continuing to open slowly. Each year they will open a little more until 2017 when they will reach their maximum.
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The first picture this year taken at 04:11 UT on 31st March 2016. Saturn was at an altitude of 15° 33'. It was 1434 million kilometres (9.59 AU) away and subtended an angle of 17 arc-seconds. The inclination of the rings was 26.2 degrees.
Date and Time: 31st March 2016 04:11 UT Camera: DFK 21AF04 Telescope: LX200 at prime focus Capture: ICCapture. 1/38", gain 1016, 1800 frames at 30 fps Processing: Registax 5. 1 alignment point, 1800 frames drizzled X2 50%, Gaussian wavelets Scheme 4 Increase of contrast in PhotoImpact and Focus Magic focus 6 |