Sky-gazers enjoy as Venus meets Saturn in a close conjunction

Mangalore, November 27: In yet another celestial phenomenon, sky gazers witnessed the conjunction of Venus and Saturn on Tuesday. The two were just a half a degree or one full moon diameter apart in the sky at the dawn and dusk.

 

Telescope users in coastal cities of Mangalore and Udupi had the pleasure of observing both planets in the same field of view.

 

Enthusiasts will be able to enjoy this rare scene during the week between 5.30 a.m. to 6.30 a.m. The same

 

According to a press release issued by the Head of the Department of Physics at Poornaprajna College, A.P. Bhat, who is also the Coordinator of Poornaprajna Amateur Astronomers Club (PAAC), on the evenings of November 27 and 28, the planet Jupiter would be very close to Moon and the star Aldeberan (Rohini). They would be visible throughout the night.

 

Moon is very close to Earth at a distance of 3,84,000 km. But Jupiter is nearly 740 million km from the Sun and 590 million km from the Earth.

 

The star Aldeberan is at 66 light years from us.

 

Venus is 110 million km from the Sun and 40 million km from the Earth, and Saturn is 1,400 million km from the Sun.

 

When it comes to size, Saturn is 1,000 times bigger than Venus. Jupiter is 64,000 times bigger than Moon and the star Aldeberan is 10 million times bigger than Jupiter.

 

“But when we see them in the sky (during the week), we feel they are all of nearly the same size and of same distance, which is not true,” Prof. Bhat said.