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SINGAPORE – Individuals and groups from across the island looked up into the sky on Monday (December 21) night to witness what appeared to be a single point of intense light, but was actually a kiss from two planets: Saturn and Jupiter, which they got closer to them. have been in centuries.
The event, also known as the Great Conjunction or Christmas Star, coincided with the winter solstice (December 21), the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere.
The two planets have gotten closer together in recent weeks.
According to the National University of Singapore, the last time they were this close and visible was in the sky before dawn on March 4, 1226, at the height of Genghis Khan’s Mongol Empire.
But although they seemed close enough to touch, the gas giants were actually more than 730 million kilometers apart.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said planets appear to regularly intersect with each other in the solar system, with the positions of Jupiter and Saturn aligned in the sky about once every 20 years.
However, what makes this year’s show so rare is that it has been almost 400 years since the planets passed so close to each other in the sky, and almost 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred from night, which allowed almost everyone around the world to witness it, NASA noted.
Mr. Mohamed Sajahan, 31, and his wife, School Counselor Thahira Thasnim, 27, gathered with friends in Ang Mo Kio to see the heavenly conjunction, after learning of the event from a friend, an enthusiast of the astronomy A Kannan.
“Kannan told me that the conjunction was today and that it could be seen in the southwestern sky. I thought it would be perfect to see it from my flat,” said Sajahan, a cybersecurity analyst.
Although the sky was cloudy and they could not see the planets, they were happy to enjoy the night and be part of the astronomical event.
At Woodlands, Kannan, 56, a statutory board manager, had more luck.
“Even though the sky was cloudy, Jupiter was still bright enough to be seen, although it was fainter than on clearer days,” he said.
“The planets were visible for a full 45 minutes with the naked eye.”
In other parts of the island, the Astronomy Club of the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) managed to obtain photos of the conjunction, said Mr. Desmond Lim, a professor at ITE.
“The students were excited when they saw the conjunction through the telescope, as it is such a rare opportunity to be able to see two planets through the same field of view.”
Others tuned in to the Singapore Science Center-hosted livestream of the event last night.
The planets will remain visible for the next few days, although they will not be as close to each other.
While they can be seen without assistance, the binoculars will show a clearer space.
And with a telescope, stargazers could possibly detect the two planets, their largest moons, and even Saturn’s rings.
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