South Africans enthusiastic about astronomy will be treated to a stunning solar display this evening. A conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and the moon will be visible, depending on the weather.
A conjunction occurs when one or more planets get into close proximity of one another or with the moon. Jupiter and Saturn will be perfectly visible in the night sky across the country according to Time and Date.
Professor and Head of the Astronomy Department at UCT, Patrick Woudt said: ‘The Moon, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible (weather permitting) from the southern skies. The Moon will rise around 9pm this evening, and you will be able to see Jupiter and Saturn in close proximity to the Moon from that time. Best viewed after 10pm when the Moon has risen higher.’
The two gas giants are unmistakable as both appear extremely bright. Saturn’s brightness is equated to that of a 1st magnitude star, according to EarthSky but will be outshone by the solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter.
Jupiter out-matches all planets in both mass and volume. Jupiter is more than 300 times the mass of Earth and approximately 11 times bigger in diameter, according to Sky and Telescope.
The moon has been busy over the past few weeks and next month, another penumbral lunar eclipse will occur on 5 July.
If you happen to catch the conjunction this evening, feel free to tag us on @getawaymagazine so we can feature your images on our platform.
Image credit: Unsplash
