On this Wednesday night, an astronomical event will beautify the island’s sky. If you look towards the sky, you will be able to see a brilliant celestial couple. It is the conjunction between the Moon and the planet Venusa phenomenon that can be appreciated from any point in Puerto Rico, reported the Caribbean Astronomy Society (SAC).
A conjunction occurs when two planets, a planet and the Moon, or a planet and a star, come close enough to each other to create the illusion that they are together. From this apparent closeness the concept of “cosmic kiss” is derived.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), conjunctions do not have a deep astronomical meaning, but they are pleasing to the eye.
“Although the conjunction can be seen from dusk until around 8:30 pm, it will look spectacular between 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm, as both celestial objects will be at a good elevation of the west-southwest horizon”the SAC specified in written statements.
On this occasion, Venus will look very bright due to several factors. “It is the planet that remains closest to Earth and is covered by dense clouds that, combined with the fact that it is closest to the Sunmake it a highly reflective planet,” the organization explained.
According to the SAC, The planet will continue to be visible after dark until at least March 2025. when it will gradually begin to be seen closer to the area where the Sun is located.
The educational entity pointed out that, when observing it through a telescope, many are surprised to notice that Venus shows similar phases to the Moon. However, this is due to its position in the celestial sphere. The celestial sphere is an ideal sphere, without a defined radius, concentric with the terrestrial globe, in which the stars apparently move.
“Because it is a planet located further into the interior of the solar system, we usually do not see it fully illuminated, since from our perspective we are seeing the sunlight that it receives on one of its sides and it is currently 66 percent illuminated,” the organization explained. .