Rare Moon-Saturn Conjunction Visible Tonight
Rare Moon-Saturn Conjunction Visible Tonight
Sky enthusiasts are in for a treat as a rare conjunction of the Moon and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye at midnight today, Monday, October 14. This celestial event, known as lunar occultation or Chandra Pidhan, occurs when the Earth, Moon, and a planet or star align, causing the planet or star to appear hidden behind the Moon.
The conjunction will be visible between 12:15 and 1:25 am, according to Arvind Paranjpe, Director of Nehru Tarangan. “When viewed from Pune, Saturn will be seen moving behind the moon from the dark side at 12:16 am and will exit the illuminated part of the Moon at 1:25 am,” Paranjpe explained to a media person. The complete passage of Saturn behind the Moon will be visible for approximately 50 seconds.
In addition to this rare event, comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan Atlas) will also be visible on the western horizon after sunset. Having passed closest to Earth on October 12, the comet can be seen with the naked eye from outside city limits, with a magnitude expected to remain around zero to one for the next few days.
Comet Tsuchinshan Atlas has an orbit of approximately 80,000 years and was at its shortest distance from Earth on Saturday, about 7 crore kilometers away. If the western horizon is clear after sunset, the comet can be seen about 30 minutes after sunset. Researchers note that a photo taken with a long exposure on a DSLR camera can capture the comet’s “coma” and tail extending about 20 to 25 degrees across the sky.
Sky enthusiasts are advised to grab their binoculars or telescopes to witness this rare celestial event. The Moon-Saturn conjunction will be visible to the naked eye, but a telescope will be required to see Saturn’s eclipse. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness the beauty of the night sky.
