-Stargazers in city witness rare planetary pairing of two bright objects
VAIBHAV PARWAT
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: On Thursday evening, stargazers in the city were treated to a breathtaking celestial event as Venus and Jupiter appeared to come within only 0.5 degrees of each other in the night sky. The conjunction was visible to the naked eye from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where it was particularly bright and clear.
Experts said that the event, which is also known as a planetary pairing, was particularly rare and stunning because Venus and Jupiter are two of the brightest planets in the sky. The two planets also have distinct colors, with Venus appearing as a brilliant white while Jupiter is more of a muted orange. As the two planets slowly moved closer together throughout the evening, many people took to social media to share their photos and observations. Some even set up telescopes and other equipment to get a closer look at the event.
Spectacular planetary pairing
"This is one of the most spectacular planetary pairings that we've seen in recent years. It's always exciting to see two planets so close together, but when it's Venus and Jupiter, it's really something special," said Srinivas Aundhkar, director of MGM APJ Abdul Kalam Astrospace Science Centre.
Beautiful and rare sight
The conjunction was particularly striking due to the close proximity of the two planets, with Venus and Jupiter appearing to be just a few degrees apart in the sky. This created a beautiful and rare sight that is not often seen by stargazers. While such conjunctions are relatively common, they are not always visible from Earth and are particularly impressive when the planets appear so close together, said Amit Raka, astronomer and co-founder of the Crux View Centre.
Next visible in 2047
The conjunction was visible for several hours on Thursday evening. Citizens also gathered at the MGM observatory to witness the event in all its glory. Experts say that while it may not be a once-in-a-lifetime event, it is certainly rare and will be again experienced in 2047 i.e. after 24 years.