Celestial alignment: Saturn slips behind the moon in Thailand

A rare celestial event, the Lunar Occultation of Saturn, will be visible with the naked eye early tomorrow morning across Thailand. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) announced this phenomenon will occur from approximately 3.09am to 4.27am Bangkok time.

NARIT’s public relations and communications office posted on social media that Saturn will gradually disappear behind the Moon and reappear later. Clear skies without rain will allow viewers across the country to witness this event without any special equipment, while a live broadcast will be available on NARIT’s Facebook page starting at 2.30am.

Supareuk Khrehanon, Director of NARIT’s Academic and Public Outreach Division, explained that the event will take place just before dawn tomorrow. At the onset, both celestial bodies will be positioned in the middle of the sky, with Saturn appearing near the bright edge of the Moon.

Saturn will start to touch the Moon’s bright limb around 3.09am, completely disappearing behind it, and then re-emerging from the dark limb at approximately 4.27am. The timings are based on observations from Bangkok, and they may vary slightly in other locations.

When viewed with the naked eye, Saturn will look like a small dot moving behind the Moon. However, through a telescope, observers will be able to see Saturn and its rings in detail as they disappear and re-emerge from behind the Moon. The live broadcast on NARIT’s Facebook page will provide a detailed view for those who prefer to watch from home.

Supareuk further elaborated that occultations, where one celestial object passes in front of another from the observer’s perspective, can include the Moon covering planets or stars, and even planets covering stars or each other. These events help astronomers calculate the diameter of celestial objects, and the distance between the Earth and the Moon, and study atmospheric structures.

They also aid in detecting and examining the rings of outer planets. This makes occultations significant for astronomical research.

This year, the Lunar Occultation of Saturn will occur again on October 15. The event will be visible from 2.19am to 3.00am, primarily from northern Thailand, parts of central and western Thailand, and some areas in the northeast, reported Sanook.

This schedule is based on observations from Chiang Mai and may differ slightly in other locations. Further information can be found on NARIT’s Facebook page.