On Thursday (Sept. 8), the moon and Saturn will make an in depth strategy to one another sharing the identical right ascension , an occasion often called a conjunction.
The 2 objects will move to inside round 3⁰ 43′ of one another within the night sky and can be seen in entrance of the constellation of Capricornus. Over the sky of New York, the conjunction can be seen at round 7:33 p.m. ET (2333 GMT) and can be positioned to the southeast about 13⁰ above the horizon. (A fist at arm’s size equals roughly 10⁰.)
The moon and Saturn will attain 33⁰ above the southern horizon at round 11:14 p.m. ET (0314 GMT on Sept. 9) — the conjunction’s highest level — and the occasion will proceed to be seen till round 3:29 a.m. ET (0729 GMT), at which level the moon and Saturn will disappear between the horizon within the southwest.
Associated: Night sky, September 2022: What you can see tonight [maps]
The conjunction of Saturn — the solar system‘s second-largest planet — and the moon can be greatest seen by the bare eye or with a pair of binoculars. A telescope will not be appropriate to view the occasion because of the massive separation within the sky between the moon and the gas giant which exceeds a telescope’s area of view.
Through the conjunction, the moon could have a visible magnitude of 12.7, whereas Saturn’s magnitude can be 0.3.
Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and one of many 5 brightest planets in solar system — additionally together with Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter — that may be seen with the bare eye.
Seen from Earth with the bare eye, Saturn seems as a twinkling speck of sunshine, but it surely takes not more than a small telescope to see one of many planet’s most astounding options — its rings. Embedded with these rings, that are believed to be materials ranging in dimension from dust-like particles to car-sized lumps, are a few of Saturn’s moons.
Showing as a hazy brown-yellowish blob in a telescope, the atmosphere of Saturn is usually comprised of hydrogen and helium with comparatively excessive quantities of methane and ammonia.
Conjunctions like this one between the moon and Saturn are a sort of shut strategy within the sky between two or extra astronomical objects referred to as an appulse.
Essentially the most frequent sort of appulse entails the moon paired up with one of many solar system’s planets. It’s because the moon strikes quickly by way of the night time sky compared to different cosmological our bodies and may, due to this fact, move by way of every constellation round as soon as a month.
Because of this conjunctions between the moon and the planets happen roughly as soon as each month and at roughly the identical time every month.
There isn’t a strict definition of simply how shut two celestial our bodies have to come back within the sky to make an appulse. Astronomy web site In The Sky considers an appulse to have occurred between two objects which might be seen with the bare eye when they pass to within 3⁰ (opens in new tab), and objects seen solely by telescope are in applause when separated by simply 1⁰.
The subsequent conjunction between the moon and Saturn is about for Oct. 5, 2022.
You’ll be able to take a look at our guides for the best binoculars and the best telescopes to identify the moon, Saturn or many different celestial objects. In case you’re hoping to seize a superb photograph of the duo, take a look at our suggestions for one of the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s Word: In case you snap a photograph of the conjunction of the moon and Saturn and wish to share it with House.com’s readers, ship your photograph(s), feedback, and your title and site to spacephotos@space.com.
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