Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun, will be at its brightest and most visible this weekend.

The gas giant will go into opposition with the sun on Saturday 10 May, when it aligns with the sun and the Earth, with our planet in the middle.

Stargazers will be treated to a spectacular view of the second largest planet in the Milky Way, which can be seen online courtesy of the Slooh community telescope.

What does the Saturn opposition mean?

As explained by Universe Today, this means that as the sun sets to the west Saturn will rise to "opposite" it in the east. It will remain in this position in the early evening hours throughout the summer season.

Just after sunset on Saturday, Saturn will be visible along the southeastern horizon. It will appear within the constellation of Libra, between the two brightest stars, Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali, the "Northern Claw" and "Southern Claw".

According to researchers on Nasa's Cassini mission, Saturn's ring plane is tilted 21.7 degrees, providing skywatchers with an exquisite view of the planet's north pole as the planet's northern hemisphere is tipped towards Earth.

The planet will shine at magnitude +0.3 throughout May and the widening of Saturn's rings cause it to emit a brighter, yellow glow; although we are currently in a cycle of oppositions moving further away.

Saturn is actually 12.5 million kilometres more distant this year than it was in 2013.

How can you find Saturn using a telescope?

According to Earthsky.org, the planet will appear to the east of the star Spica and will appear as a golden object.

To find Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, stargazers should "locate the Big Dipper in the northeast and follow the curve in its handle until you come to the orange star Arcturus in the constellation Bootes". You should continue to extend that line until you reach the star Spica.

Saturn will appear beside the Earth's moon on 13 May, 14 May, 9 June, 10 June, and 7 July for an easier way to locate Saturn's position, according to Space Reporter.

Using a telescope, Saturn's largest moon Titan will also be visible. Around the size of Mercury, the moon will move away from the rings on 5, 13, 21 and 29 May, making it easiest to detect as an "orange star".

What other planets are visible?

Other planets are also observable, according to Space.com. Jupiter and Mars have been bright and visible for some time, as the gas giant Jupiter will ride high to the west at sunset. Mars passed opposition last month and will reach its greatest eastern elongation on 25 May.

Mercury will join towards the end of the month, while Venus will spend most of 2014 in the dawn sky.

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