Stargazers in Taiwan will be able to observe with the naked eye a rare lining-up of the moon and Saturn tonight -- if the weather cooperates. Although no equipment will be needed to observe the lunar occultation, binoculars will allow a better view.
According to the Taipei Astronomical Museum, the moon will begin to pass in front of Saturn around 12:40am tomorrow and the planet will be seen again at around 1:44am.
If weather conditions allow it, the event would be visible everywhere in Taiwan.
The last time stargazers in Taiwan could see an observable moon occultation was on Oct. 16, 1997. Researchers at the museum told the Taipei Times yesterday that the coming moon occultation would be very suitable for observation with the naked eye because the stars will be in a favorable position and the elevation would also be close to ideal.
"If stargazers want to see the rings of Saturn, they need to use 500mm binoculars with an enlargement capability of at least 20 times," said Lin Hung-chin (
Lin said that, although it is millions of kilometers away, Saturn will probably be very bright and easy to spot.
"Because the moon will be brighter than Saturn, stargazers using binoculars will be able to see the moon sliding in front of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, and other satellites within the time-span of only a few minutes," Lin said.
Lin said that it would be easier to follow the moon's occultation of Saturn than to follow Saturn's re-emergence from behind the moon.
He added that stargazers in Taiwan would not be able to observe the astronomical phenomenon again until Feb. 2, 2037. Similar line-ups of two non-solar celestial objects in the solar system will occur during daytime in 2007, 2024, 2025, and 2036.
Chen Yi-liang (陳怡良), a meteo-rologist at the Central Weather Bureau, told the Taipei Times yesterday that it might be cloudy tonight in northern and eastern Taiwan. Chen therefore suggested that stargazers or researchers should choose locations in southern Taiwan to watch the lunar occultation from.
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