Rare Saturn-moon conjunction to occur from 24 July, celestial bodies will appear to ‘touch’

Saturn-moon conjunction: Moon and Saturn to appear to touch when viewed from Earth

A rare celestial event called a “Saturn-moon conjunction” will be seen in Singapore skies from late Wednesday (24 July) night.

This occurs when the two celestial bodies appear close to one another as viewed from Earth, and would even seem to “touch”.

Saturn-moon conjunction will start at 11.30pm on 24 July

In a statement sent to MS News on Tuesday (23 July), the Science Centre Observatory (SCOB) said stargazers should be able to observe the Saturn-moon conjunction from 11.30pm on Wednesday.

This will be when Saturn and the moon rise very close to one another in the eastern sky, appearing in the same binocular view.

They will move closer as the night progresses and eventually appear to “touch” — meaning they will be nearly inseparable by the naked eye.

The two astronomical objects will appear the closest to each other at 4.31am on 25 July.

Saturn-moon conjunction can be viewed with naked eye

If the skies are clear, observers in Singapore will be able to view the conjunction with the naked eye from a location with an unobstructed view such as East Coast Park, SCOB said.

That’s because both Saturn and the moon should appear bright and prominent in the sky. Saturn will materialise as a yellowish distinct star beside the moon, according to Stargazing Singapore.

However, the moon might also be very bright, making Saturn seem comparatively dimmer.

For a better look at the conjunction, SCOB thus suggested using equipment such as a telescope.

Those in northwest Singapore may also see a grazing lunar occultation of Saturn’s rings — a rare occurrence where the rings are partially obscured by the moon’s surface.

Saturn-moon conjunction much rarer than other conjunctions

The upcoming Saturn-moon conjunction is similar to the moon and Venus conjunction that took place in March 2023, SCOB said.

However, Saturn-moon conjunctions are much rarer due to Saturn’s much longer orbit around the Sun.

Moon and planet conjunctions typically occur frequently, SCOB added, noting that while the celestial bodies would appear to be close to each other from an observer’s perspective, they are not necessarily physically close to each other.

Also read: Moon & Venus Conjunction Seen In Night Sky On 24 Mar, S’poreans Share Enthralling Photos

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Featured image adapted from Stargazing Singapore on Facebook.