The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Mars, Saturn to come close to each other today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 18, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Mars, Saturn to come close to each other today

Lalithasai

They can be seen with naked eye between 7 p.m. and 8.30 p.m

CHENNAI: A rare celestial event awaits amateur astronomers and stargazers on Sunday.

Saturn and Mars will come close to each other — a scant 0.6 degrees setting them apart visually. At about 6.45 p.m. when the sun sets, the ringed planet will emerge in the western skies. Close on its heels will be the less bright red planet, Mars.

Saturn would appear brighter at zero magnitude and is seen in the constellation Cancer. "Astronomers call this getting together of two celestial bodies as conjunction. This is a unique chance for us to see our close celestial neighbours in just one sitting," says P. Iyamperumal, Executive Director, B. M. Birla Planetarium, Chennai.

Though these give an illusion of having snuggled closer they are actually 110 crore km apart. Both are on the far side of the sun right now. "While Mars is over 32 crore km away, Saturn is over 144 crore km away from us.

The last time these two came together in the evening skies was in 1978 and they will not enact the play again until 2022.

Mars and Saturn will appear this close only about 10 times in a century," the Executive Director says. Planet Mercury will also make its appearance low in the horizon in the constellation Gemini, while the gassy giant Jupiter will come high overhead in the constellation of Leo.

Depending on darkness and weather, the planets can be seen with the naked eye between 7 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. After this they would slowly move down the horizon from 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. one by one.

The Birla Planetarium authorities have made arrangements for the public to view the event (7 p.m. and 9 p.m.)

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