Exciting things are happening in the sky this week, and no, it’s not smog-related.
The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) today is inviting netizens to watch out for a pair of what they hope will be spectacular astronomical events this week: the Venus-Saturn conjunction and the Super Snow Moon (aka Super Full Moon).
From now through Wednesday, Venus and Saturn appeared so close in the sky that they appear to kiss one another in a phenomenon known as the Venus-Saturn conjunction, NARIT writes on their Facebook page.
An astronomical conjunction occurs when two astronomical objects or spacecraft share the same right ascension or angular distance as observed from Earth, according to In The Sky.
Tomorrow, the planets will reportedly just be 1.3 degrees apart, and Bangkokians should be able to observe this spectacle with the naked eye.
Additionally, tomorrow’s “supermoon” will be the biggest and brightest of the entire year. They occur when the moon orbits closest to the earth — a mere 356,800 kilometers away — making it appear seven percent larger and 16 percent brighter. It can be observed tomorrow from 6:11pm onwards.
It’s other nickname, “snow moon,” is the name historically given to the second full moon of winter, reported the Times.
So get those cameras out, readers, and get ready for some gorgeous astronomical phenomenons.
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