Lunar eclipse and wonderful conjunction coming soon; All the details

Save this date: Saturday, October 28, 2023.
On this day, starting at 9.36pm, weather permitting, you will be able to observe APartial lunar eclipse. As if that wasn’t enough, the largest planet in the solar system will shine near our satellite: Jupiter.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the cone of the Earth’s shadow hits the lunar sphere in a “total” or “partial” manner. This type of phenomenon can only occur when the Moon and the Sun are at exactly opposite points relative to the Earth (the full moon phase, which will fall on the 28th), that is, when the Moon is close to one of its nodes. It rotates in orbit.

In this case, the eclipse will be partial, and we will be able to see the moon darkened by about 12% in the lower part. It’s not much, but it’s still a great show.

Jupiter can be seen near the moon, the largest planet in the solar system, in a beautiful conjunction. A conjunction between two objects in the sky occurs when the two objects appear to be close to each other. Let’s remember that Jupiter will be almost at opposition (which it will be on November 3) or at maximum brightness so a spectacle will be guaranteed here as well.

Out of curiosity, we remind you that shortly before dawn, these days, towards the east, you will be able to observe the brightest planet in the sky, which is Venus.

Moon month – October will be the month of the moonIn fact, we will start with the International Moon Day, the 21st, an initiative promoted globally for telescope observations dedicated to our satellite, and Italy is one of the countries that traditionally registers the largest number of members. The Italian Federation of Amateur Astronomers is the official partner of this initiative.