Titan to darken Saturn on August 19: How to watch
What's the story
On August 19, Saturn's largest moon, Titan, will cast its shadow on the planet. This rare event can be witnessed in the early hours of that day. The phenomenon occurs during specific periods every 15 years when Saturn's rings align edge-on with Earth. During this time, Titan's orbital plane aligns perfectly to cast its massive shadow across the gas giant's cloud tops.
Viewing tips
When to watch the transit
The next transit will start at 1:52am ET (11:22am IST) on August 19. From there, it will take a little over four hours for the moon's shadow to cross Saturn's disk, according to Sky & Telescope. The gas giant will be some 1.3 billion kilometers away from Earth at that time, making it impossible to see with the naked eye or even binoculars. However, an 8.0-inch telescope at 200x magnification should make Titan's shadow visible on Saturn's surface.
Upcoming events
Next transits and their rarity
The upcoming Titan shadow transits will occur on September 4, starting at 1:25am and ending at 4:50am ET; and September 20, beginning at 1:09am and concluding at 3:34am ET. After the final October 6 event, the next chance to witness this celestial alignment won't be until the mid-2040s. This is because such alignments are rare due to the unique orbital patterns of Saturn's moons and rings.