https://arab.news/2phgz
- The celestial show occurred after sunset over the Northern Border region and was visible to the naked eye, with the moon and the planet separated by just three degrees
RAFHA: A spectacular celestial event took place over Saudi Arabia's northern skies on Saturday night, with the moon and Venus in conjunction, the Saudi Press Agency reported early Sunday.
Known as a conjunction, the phenomenon occurred in the sky after sunset over the Northern Border region and was visible to the naked eye, with the moon and the planet separated by just three degrees.
A conjunction occurs when two celestial objects appear close to each other in the sky and share the same celestial longitude, the report quoted astronomer Berjis Al-Fulaih as saying.
Al-Fulaih, an official of the AFAQ Society for Astronomy in Taif, noted that Venus is often referred to as the "Evening Star" or the "Morning Star," depending on its position in the west or east.
The alignment, visible to the naked eye, marks the beginning of the moon's monthly journey past the bright planets.
The phenomenon occurred in the sky after sunset over the Northern Border region and was visible to the naked eye. (SPA)
In an interview with SPA ahead of the celestial event, Jeddah Astronomy Society chief Majed Abu Zahra said the appearance of the crescent moon and Venus together shortly after sunset, before the sky darkened fully, brought about the spectacular view.
"As the second and third brightest objects in the night sky, after the sun, they will present a striking view," he said.
A faint glow, caused by sunlight reflecting off Earth (known as Earthshine), will softly illuminate the unlit part of the moon's disk, he explained.
Abu Zahra said there will be another astronomical event in mid-October: arrival of Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS, which will appear 20 to 25 degrees northwest of Venus on October 13 and 14. The comet may even be visible to the naked eye, though comets are notoriously unpredictable.
By October 25, Venus will appear three degrees north of the star Antares. Toward the end of the month, Venus will draw closer to Earth, with its disk measuring 14 arcseconds and being 77% illuminated, SPA quoted Abu Zahra as saying.