Moon, Saturn from nightfall to midnight on July 7

The nearest "star" to the moon tonight is no star at all. It's the ringed planet Saturn, the 6th planet outward from the sun. By the way, you don't have to be aboard the Cassini spacecraft to view Saturn's rings. You can see them for yourself through a modest backyard telescope.

The nearest “star” to the moon tonight is no star at all. It’s the ringed planet Saturn, the 6th planet outward from the sun. By the way, you don’t have to be aboard the Cassini spacecraft to view Saturn’s rings. You can see them for yourself through a modest backyard telescope.
Try the lowest power on the telescope first. If the atmosphere is unsteady, it’s easier to get a clear focus with low power. It’s best to catch Saturn at nightfall or early evening, when this world shines highest for the night. As it sinks westward during the evening hours, the extra thickness of the Earth’s atmosphere near the horizon may make it difficult to see Saturn’s rings clearly.
Although Earth is traveling away form Saturn as we speak, Saturn won’t dim much, if at all, in the months ahead. That’s because Saturn’s rings, which are very reflective of ...