In July, we saw the beautiful conjunction of Venus, Mars, and the Moon. Today, we have the opportunity to see another astronomical phenomenon: the Blue Moon, the third full Moon in just one season; an event that takes place only every two and a half years. Also, see how to observe other conjunctions that will be glowing in the sky this weekend.
Starting with the Blue Moon, it is necessary to clarify that it will not change color, as the name refers to the second full Moon in just one month or the third of four full moons in just one season of the year, which is the case this time.
Observing the Moon isn’t all that difficult as you can see it with the naked eye or even capture a photograph of it if you have a cell phone with a powerful telephoto camera. However, conjunctions can also be seen this weekend.
Jupiter and Saturn will be in conjunction with the Moon this Friday (20th) and Sunday (22nd) night, facilitating their observation in the sky using a telescope, for example. To observe them, look at the Moon from 7 pm onwards; Saturn will be on the side of the satellite and Jupiter just below, as you can see in the illustration above.
On Sunday, Jupiter will be above the Moon at around 10 pm, so prepare your telescope or camera to capture more of this phenomenon. The times informed to follow the Brasilia time zone, so be aware if you live in a region where the official time is different.
If you want to see what the sky will be like these nights, go to Stellarium Web to simulate conditions and find where the planets should be positioned.