Set an early alarm — tonight’s best show happens before sunrise.

In the hours before dawn, a waning gibbous moon will glide past Saturn in the southeastern sky. The two will appear just a few degrees apart, close enough to fit comfortably in the field of view of a pair of binoculars.

What to look for

• What: The Moon and Saturn, side by side
• When: Roughly 2:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. your local time
• Where to look: Southeast, climbing higher as the night wears on
• Gear: Naked eye is plenty. Binoculars help you spot Saturn’s golden tone against the moon’s white-blue glow.

Why it’s cool: Saturn is 886 million miles from Earth right now. The moon is about 240,000. The fact that they look like neighbors is one of the great optical illusions our sky pulls off — and a good reminder that depth is invisible from here. According to Space.com, it’s the closest pairing of the two for the month.

If you have a small telescope, this is the night to use it: Saturn’s rings are still tilted nicely toward Earth in 2026, and even a modest scope will show them clearly.

Clear skies — and let us know what you saw.