saturn – BruneiAstronomy

2020 Dec 21 Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

webmaster — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 12:00:00 +0000

by Hazarry bin Haji Ali Ahmad, The Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam

Updated Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Two of the gaseous giants, Saturn and Jupiter, continue to pass each other in the evening sky this week. The angular separation of the planets will steadily increase in the next few days, and both of the planets will hang just above the western horizon in the twilight sky.

Today the sky was pretty clear to catch the post great conjunction moment from Brunei Darussalam Live stream video of the cosmic event can be found www.bruneiastronomy.org/youtube

Post-Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter with its Jovian Moons from Brunei Darussalam on December 22, 2020. Photo by Hazarry Hj Ali Ahmad of PABD.

Vibrant Jupiter and Saturn are less than 0.5 degree apart. Photo by Abdul Waliyuddin of PABD.

Monday, December 21, 2020: The Great Conjunction

It was a cloudy day in most areas of Brunei Darussalam. Unfortunately, clouds has blocked skywatchers’ from viewing the celestial phenomenon in Brunei.

The Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam conducted the planetary alignment at 3 observation sites – Keriam, Pantai Jerudong & Penaga. Live streaming of the event can be found here www.bruneiastronomy.org/youtube The Great Conjunction was only visible momentarily by the members of PABD from Jerudong Beach:

Close-up of the planets (Photo by Hj Jamri bin Jaafar)

PABD members at Jerudong Beach

Thursday, December 17, 2020

December 17, 2020, a prelude to the Great Conjunction. (Photo by Hazarry bin Haji Ali Ahmad)

Despite being cloudy, the celestial trio – Jupiter, Saturn and the crescent moon – offered a spectacular sight in the twilight sky just now, December 17, 2020.

The planetary pair is easier to see with the naked eye and they are already closer together.

Another 3 days to go for the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Hopefully, the Brunei weather will cooperate in the next few days.

A cosmic moment the Moon crescent joins the Jupiter-Saturn conjuction in the evening from Pantai Jerudong, Brunei Darussalam. (Photographed by Dr Roslynna binti Hj Rosli of the Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam)

In the next few days, Jupiter and Saturn will get super close in a rare celestial alignment of the Great Planetary Conjunction which has not occurred since 1623 and will be viewable from Brunei Darussalam.

Jupiter and Saturn are easily visible planets after sunset from Brunei in December 2020. It will be a spectacular sight when the two bight “star” lights merge at twilight on December 21, 2020.

Live streaming of the Great Conjunctions from Brunei Darussalam:
www.bruneiastronomy.org/youtube
www.facebook.com/bruneiastronomy

Jupiter & Saturn meet in the sky: The orbital mechanics of alignment Jupiter and Saturn occur about 20 years apart. But this year, the Great Conjunction of the two planets is about 0.1° separation.

Graph of Jupiter-Saturn’s angular separation (green line) and minimum which occurs about 20 years apart.

It is so rare that both gas giant planets can be seen in the field of view of a telescope and binoculars. Previously alike astronomical occurrence happened on July 16, 1623. The next one will be on March 15, 2080.

Some updates of the astronomical event from Brunei:

You can share your pictures of the conjunction by posting it on your social media with #bruneiastronomy or send them via Telegram apps t.me/bruneiastronomy

Monday, December 14, 2020

The planets are currently visible to the unaided eye and appear very close in the western sky after sunset. Amazingly, Saturn’s and Jupiter’s largest moons are also visible in the same field of view with the aid of a telescope.

A glorious sight, 2 planets and 6 moons fit into the view of a small telescope. Photographed by Hazarry Hj Ali Ahmad of the Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam

Jupiter and Saturn with less than 1 degree angular separation. Photographed by Husaini Ali Hassan of the Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam.

Friday, December 11, 2020

A member of the Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam, Hj Jamri bin Jaafar, caught the celestial Saturn-Jupiter conjunction after sunset from As Sholehin Mosque, Brunei Darussalam. [ Camera: Iphone Xs, Auto focus lock, Location: Parking Lot Masjid As Sholehin.]

Wednesday, December 09, 2020

The duo planets, Saturn and Jupiter, at 1° 20″ separation over the Western horizon at sunset on December 09, 2020, from Kampong Keriam, Tutong, Brunei Darussalam (Photographed by Hazarry of PABD)

2020 October 21 How big are the Planets?

webmaster — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 22:00:00 +0000

Tutong – Mars, Saturn and Jupiter have reached opposition and shine extra bright in the evening sky in October 2020.

How large the planets appear in the sky, as seen through a telescope? This photograph of the planets taken last night shows the actual apparent size for comparison, measured in arcseconds (“).

The evening planets – Mars, Saturn and Jupiter on October 21, 2020 and their apparent angular size for comparison (Photographed by Hazarry Hj Ali Ahmad of PABD)

The following table shows the planets apparent size as seem from the ground telescopes. Notice that the size varies depending on the planets’ distance from the Earth because all the planets orbit the Sun on different elliptical paths.

Object	Mininum Size	Maximum Size
Sun	1800″
Mercury	4.5″	13″
Venus	9.7″	66.0″
Moon	1800″
Mars	3.5″	25.1″
Jupiter	29.8″	46.9″
Saturn (* with ring)	14.5″ (33.8″)*	20.1″ (46.9″)*
Uranus	3.3″	4.1″
Neptune	2.2″	2.4″

Apparent maximum size of the planets in the sky relative to the Moon. pic.twitter.com/8pOoi3Y3jD
— Andrew Rader (@marsrader) April 20, 2016

2020 Apr 16 Predawn Cosmic Line Up with the Moon from Brunei Darussalam

webmaster — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 01:00:00 +0000

Bandar Seri Begawan – The bright planets – Jupiter, Saturn and Mars – together with the Waning Moon were all visible today on April 16, 2020 from Mini Astronomical Observatory in Tutong, Brunei Darussalam at predawn hours.

These stunning photos show the three planets and the earth’s moon all shining brightly in day light, even after sunrise.

You can still see the moon shine with the planets at best before dawn this week.

Join our Group discussion and share your cosmic photo moments via Telegram t.me/bruneiastronomy or WhatsApp www.bruneiastronomy.org/wa

Photos by Hazarry @zrryahmad of PABD

2020 Mar 21 Spectacular Close Pairing of Jupiter and Mars

webmaster — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Tutong – The 3 bright planets – Jupiter, Mars and Saturn – gather with the crescent Moon in astronomical twilight this morning (March 21, 2020) from Tutong, Brunei Darussalam.

The largest planet Jupiter with its four Jovian moons and the red planet Mars visibly fit in the same FOV of a small telescope (about 0.7° separation).

These photos of planetary conjunction were taken by Hazarry from Kampong Keriam.

Planets Gatherings Join the Moon from March 18 until 21, 2020

webmaster — Sun, 15 Mar 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Bandar Seri Begawan – These are some of exciting and not to be missed cosmic events visible in Brunei to look up next week.

March 18 until March 20, 2020: Three bright planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn- will join the crescent moon to form a cosmic cluster in the Eastern sky at dawn from Brunei Darussalam.

Friday and Saturday dawn (March 19 and 20): Mars and the gas giant Jupiter will be in close conjunction when both planets are less than 1° apart. They are very close enough (0.7 degree separation) to both fit into the same field of view with a telescope or binocular.

Friday, March 20, 2020: The earliest vernal equinox is at 11:51 am since 1896. It occurs when the sun passes directly over the equator and day and night have the same length.

Hopefully, weather will cooperate for this cosmic conjunction.