Sky Watch: Saturn in all its glory

The man who flew a kite in a lightning storm so that we might one day have electricity and penned such poignant words as "in this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes" -- the great 18th century philosopher, statesman and scientist Benjamin Franklin -- also had a profound interest in astronomy.

Not only was he the widely read author of "Poor Richard's Almanack," but he also philosophized about the possible existence of life elsewhere in the universe and even charted the path of the planet Mercury during a rare transit across the face of the sun.

I wouldn't be surprised if Franklin even peered with a telescope at the heavens from time to time from the then-dark streets of Philadelphia, and perhaps even marveled at the glorious ringed planet Saturn. And I wonder if he ever shared that planetary view with any first-time telescope viewers. This month, Saturn appears at its best of the year -- reaching its official opposition point on April 15 -- and that means that, not only is the ringed planet now at its nearest and brightest, but it also rises around sunset so that it remains visible to planet watchers all night long.

As the sky darkens this week, look for Saturn low in the eastern sky. It's really quite easy to find, lying just to the north of the bright star Spica. In fact, you can use the familiar shape of the Big Dipper as a cosmic signpost.

Follow the curve of the Dipper's handle away from the Dipper and toward the bright star Arcturus, the brightest in Boötes, the herdsman. By continuing that trajectory, you will encounter Spica, the brightest star in Virgo, the maiden. To remember, just recite: "Follow the arc to Arcturus, then speed on to Spica."

But during mid-2012, there appears another "star" between Arcturus and Spica. Of course, this is no star; it's the planet Saturn, slightly brighter and slightly more yellow than its current celestial neighbor Spica.

If you've got a small telescope, this is the time to aim it toward the ring world. Not only is Saturn about as close to the Earth as it can get (about 810.6 million miles), but its rings are also tipped in our direction.

What intrigues me most about Saturn is how people react when viewing this planet for the first time through a telescope. I can always count on a gasp, often followed by an accusation that I slipped in a slide to trick them.And this happens not just occasionally, but nearly every single time.

Maybe now you see my curiosity about whether Franklin ever shared his view of Saturn with any first-time telescope viewers. If he had, I'd wager that he would have heard people gasp every bit as excitedly as they do today. And I suspect that, being the wise man that he was, Franklin might have written his now-famous quotation just a bit differently: "...in this world nothing can be said to be certain except death, taxes, and the reaction of stargazers to the amazing ringed planet."