the-unique-and-spectacular-astronomical-phenomenon-that-we-can-enjoy-this-weekend

For those who love astronomy and have a telescope at home, we have good news for you, since this weekend there will be a unique and at the same time strange astronomical phenomenon that we will rarely be able to appreciate.

It is a double planetary conjunction, in which the Moon will also be involved.

A conjunction is that when the planets are seen very close to each other, at much shorter distances than usual , the result of the apparent approach of several planets in a region of the sky and are characterized by being able to be observed without the help of any type of optical aid, sometimes even from cities where there is light pollution can be observed. The planets will be aligned for a few moments and little by little it will be lost.

This astronomical phenomenon can be seen from Saturday morning 26 in February. The brightness of the planet Venus will be seen intensely above the red planet shortly before sunrise, while the Moon will be placed to the right of the 2 planets. An hour before sunrise, the waning Moon will form a line with Mars and Venus. In addition, a series of stars can be observed, and the asteroid Vesta, with a radius of 262, 7 kilometers, very close, located between these two planets, can also be observed with telescopes.

This phenomenon will end on Sunday 27 when the waning moon has a 14% illumination and be located about 3.5° below Mars before sunrise, while the red planet will be 4° below Venus, to complete the conjunction of the 3 largest celestial bodies among the close to Earth.

Later, on Monday 28 in February, the Moon will position itself together with Mercury, Saturn, Venus and Mars. This means that it would be possible to see not only 2, but four planets on the horizon during the morning.

The specialized site Earth Sky explains that this phenomenon is due to the “ecliptic, or path of the sun, moon, and planets, making a steep (favourable) angle with the horizon before sunrise in the fall (which it nearly is, for the southern part of the world). Earth)”.

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By Scribe