On Tuesday, August 20, the Peruvian sky offered a unique spectacle when Saturn, the ringed planet, momentarily disappeared behind the LunaThis phenomenon, known as planetary occultation, left behind impressive images.
The Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) organized a live broadcast so that everyone could follow the event in real time. In addition, they opened the doors of the Huancayo Geophysical Observatory, located in Chupaca, so that those interested could witness the occultation.
Where and at what time?
The Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) prepared for the event and broadcast it Live from 7:00 pm. through its official Facebook pageIn addition, astronomy lovers were able to go to the Huancayo Geophysical Observatory, in Chupaca, from 6:30 pm to enjoy the event in person.
The images left by the ‘collision’ of Saturn and the Moon
The astronomical phenomenon of the occultation of Saturn by the Moon left impressive images captured from two strategic points: the Ica Solar Station and the Huancayo Geophysical Observatory. Thanks to telescopes equipped with cameras, both places recorded the moment when the planet disappeared behind the Earth’s natural satellite.
This event was made possible thanks to technology donated by the Japanese government, which allowed the approach and occultation of Saturn to be captured in great detail. In Huancayo, the occultation began at 7:45 pm, while in Ica, the event began at 7:46 pm, offering a unique visual spectacle for astronomy enthusiasts.
These were the images:
IGP Live Streaming:
What was observed?
“We will observe the Moon and the planet Saturn very close by. Both will slowly approach and the planet Saturn will slowly disappear behind the Moon for a few minutes and then reappear on the other edge of the Moon. This event will be repeated in November and then We won’t see him again after 17 years“, explained the IGP specialists.
Why does this phenomenon occur?
According to Infobae, this phenomenon It occurs when the Moon passes in front of another object in the sky, such as the planet Saturn.temporarily hiding it from our perspective on Earth. Although it appears that the Moon is covering Saturn, in reality, they are at very different distances: the Moon is about 384 thousand kilometers from us, while Saturn is more than 1.2 billion kilometers away.
The illusion of concealment happens because The Moon and Saturn align in the sky with the Earth, similar to how in eclipses, the Moon covers the Sun or the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon.