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Mars and Saturn are good brothers?

April 5

Mars and Saturn will meet in the sky

The distance between these two planets "passing by" is very short

The highest in 44 years!

On April 5, there will be a rare astronomical spectacle of Mars, one of the eight planets in the solar system, meeting Saturn. No one on Earth has ever witnessed Saturn and Mars meeting at such a close visual distance in the 21st century.

If the weather is clear, it can be seen not only in China but also in almost all parts of the world (except the Arctic region). If the public is interested, they can watch it for three consecutive days (April 4-6).

Saturn and Mars in recent days

Recently, Mars and Saturn are both located in Capricorn, and Mars is chasing Saturn from west to east. On April 4, Mars was southwest of Saturn, and the two were 0.9° apart. At 6:00 on April 5, Mars finally caught up with Saturn, and both were located on the same meridian, and the two were 0.3° apart. This is not the shortest distance. According to theoretical calculations, Mars and Saturn will be closest in a few hours. The apparent diameter of the round full moon is about 0.5°. If the full moon passes in front of Mars and Saturn, it can cover them all. On April 6, Mars was southeast of Saturn, and the two were 0.6° apart.

Image by Li Desheng

How to distinguish Saturn and Mars

Saturn and Mars are so close, how to distinguish them? Astronomy enthusiasts told reporters that they can be distinguished from three aspects. First, from the perspective of brightness, Saturn is slightly brighter than Mars. The apparent magnitude of the two is 0.9 for Saturn and 1.0 for Mars, which is similar to Antares in Scorpio (magnitude 0.96). The smaller the number, the brighter it is. Second, from the perspective of direction, Mars is to the south of Saturn. Third, from the perspective of color, Mars is orange-red and Saturn is yellow-white.

"Brothers" is a visual phenomenon

Actually far away

Mars and Saturn are so close, but it does not mean that they are actually very close. This is a visual phenomenon caused by the fact that the Earth, Mars and Saturn are arranged in a nearly straight line during their movement. In fact, the distance between Mars and Saturn is about 1.2 billion kilometers, which is equivalent to about 8 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

Saturn and Mars Conjunction

How often does it occur?

According to reports, the last time Mars and Saturn were closer was on June 5, 1978, when they were only 0.1° apart, and the "half-moon" could cover them. 44 years ago, there were probably not many people around the world who witnessed this rare sight. How often do Saturn and Mars meet? According to calculations, it happens about once every two years. The last time it happened was on March 31, 2020, and the next time will be on April 11, 2024.

When is the best time to watch?

When is the best time to watch Mars and Saturn meet at close range? Astronomy enthusiasts say that the best time to watch is 70 minutes before sunrise, and the observation direction is low in the east and south. At that time, Venus will be the morning star, very bright, with an apparent brightness of minus 4.4 magnitude. Saturn and Mars can be found southwest of Venus (upper right). If you use binoculars to observe, the effect will be better.

Source: Guangzhou Daily·New Flower City

Reporter: Yekas