Астронет: Астрономическая картинка дня Сатурн позади Луны http://variable-stars.ru/db/msg/1490933/eng |
Credit & Copyright: Peter Patonai
(Astroscape Photography)
Explanation:
What's that next to the Moon?
Saturn.
In its monthly trip around the
Earth -- and hence
Earth's sky -- our Moon passed nearly in front of
Sun-orbiting
Saturn earlier this week.
Actually the
Moon passed directly in front of
Saturn from the viewpoints of a wide swath of Earth's
Southern Hemisphere.
The
featured image from
Sydney,
Australia
captured the pair a few minutes before the
eclipse.
The image was a single shot lasting only 1/500th of a second,
later processed to better highlight both the
Moon and Saturn.
Since
Saturn is nearly opposite the Sun,
it can be seen nearly the entire night, starting at sunset,
toward the south and east.
The
gibbous Moon was also nearly opposite the Sun,
and so also visible nearly the entire night -- it will be
full tomorrow night.
The
Moon will occult Saturn again
during every lap it makes around the Earth this year.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.