James Kon
The public will be able to witness a special celestial phenomenon when the Moon passes in front of Venus tomorrow morning, said the Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam (PABD).
PABD is partnering with six other astronomical institutions and observatories for providing a live view of the Moon-Venus occultation from around the region, it said.
The co-organisers of the online observation are from Malaysia – Apadilangit; Dark Sky Malaysia; Negeri Selangor Falak Association and Negeri Kelantan Amateur Astronomy-Falak Association, and Indonesia – Sunan Ampel Surabaya Astronomical Observatory and Jakarta Planetarium.
The webcast will begin tomorrow at 8.30am on www.bruneiastronomy.org and will last until 12.45pm.
The PABD said the celestial event occurs when the moon is perfectly aligned to pass in front of the brightest planet. For most regions in Southeast Asia, the lunar occultation of Venus will take place in daytime.
Venus is the third brightest celestial body in the sky after the sun and the moon. The morning planet shines brightly at magnitude -4.1, which is easily visible in broad daylight sky for many experienced observers.
Less-casual observers may need an optical aid such as a telescope or binoculars and aim to the moon crescent during the daytime to witness this occultation.
If the sky is clear and blue, sky watchers in the country should be able to see a very bright ‘star’ (which is in fact Venus) approaching close the moon prior to the occultation. Venus disappears behind the Moon at 10.58am for Brunei Darussalam. As this occultation involves the waning lunar crescent, at the beginning of the occultation, Venus will glide behind the bright side of the moon.
It will then re-emerge from behind the moon’s dark side approximately 1 hour 42 minutes later, at 12.40pm.
The next occultations of Venus will be on March 24, 2023, followed by 16 years later, on May 27, 2039.
