A lunar occultation of Saturn, meteor showers and planetary conjunctions are among the cosmic events visible from Taiwan this year, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said in a statement yesterday.
This year there are multiple lunar occultations, which occur when the moon blocks a celestial body from sight, including a rare occultation of Saturn on July 25, the museum said.
Occultations of Saturn are only visible from Taiwan every decade or so, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Astronomical Museum
After the one on July 25, local stargazers will need to wait 12 years to see another, it said.
The museum said it would livestream footage of the Quadrantids meteor shower from 8pm to midnight when it opens this year’s cosmic calendar tomorrow night.
Viewing conditions for each meteor shower vary, the statement said, adding that the best viewing this year would be the Eta Aquariids on May 6.
The Perseids on Aug. 12 is better viewed later at night as it will be a first-quarter moon, while the Geminids on Dec. 14 will coincide with a full moon, negatively affecting viewing conditions, it said.
Stargazers can also see numerous planetary conjunctions, when two or more planets appear in close proximity, the museum said.
The museum recommended observing the conjunction of Jupiter and Mars on Aug. 15, when the two planets will be closest together as viewed from Earth from midnight to sunrise.
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The next minimum wage hike is expected to exceed NT$30,000, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday during an award ceremony honoring “model workers,” including migrant workers, at the Presidential Office ahead of Workers’ Day today. Lai said he wished to thank the awardees on behalf of the nation and extend his most sincere respect for their hard work, on which Taiwan’s prosperity has been built. Lai specifically thanked 10 migrant workers selected for the award, saying that although they left their home countries to further their own goals, their efforts have benefited Taiwan as well. The nation’s industrial sector and small businesses lay
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