The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter will be registered this Thursday, March 2, which will have an apparent separation of less than one degree of arc, informed Yucatan astronomer Eddie Ariel Salazar Gamboa, predicting that it will be one of the most outstanding celestial spectacles for that month, with a duration of a little less than two hours.
The expert recalled that last Wednesday 22nd, both planets, together with the Moon, starred in a triple conjunction, which attracted the attention of the people, in addition to the atmospheric conditions that allowed it to be visible.
Now, both the evening star and the gas giant will be practically one next to the other, in the celestial vault, although in reality, they have a separation of several million kilometers.
The academic from the Instituto Tecnológico de Mérida (ITM) indicated that the two planets are in Pisces and the separation between them will be 29 minutes and 23 seconds of arc.
“A conjunction is registered when two celestial objects share the same right ascension or length of the ecliptic, so in perspective it will be observed that they are close to each other, when the reality is different,” he said.
The professor emeritus of the Autonomous University of Yucatan (UADY) explained that the goddess of love and beauty (that will be Venus), will rise at 7:56 a.m. and set at 8:13 p.m., which is in its “evening star” phase.
While the Jovian giant (Jupiter), will appear at 7:59 am and will set at 8:14 pm.
Meanwhile, the Sun will disappear at 18:04 hours, and minutes later these planets will be appreciated, which are approaching gradually.
The coordinator of the Astronomy Group “Hipatia of Alexandria” of the ITM explained that the event will last two hours, but the maximum approach will not be seen, since it will be registered at 23:05 hours.
Currently, they are the two brightest stars in the night sky, since Venus has an apparent magnitude of -4, and Jupiter’s luminosity is -2.1.
That is to say, Venus is 475 times brighter than Jupiter, emphasized the “Jaguar of Tourism 2020” award from the Mexican Association of the Tourism Industry (AMIT) Yucatan.
Although Jupiter is 1,500 times bigger than Venus, the latter, which is in its evening star phase, is brighter, due to its proximity to the Sun (and to Earth).
On that day, Venus will be 204 million kilometers away from Earth, while Jupiter will be more than 864 million kilometers away, concluded Eddie Ariel Salazar Gamboa, the 2021 award winner of the Distinguished Teacher of the State of Yucatan.
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