Gliding through the sky on Wednesday evening, February 20th, a first quarter Moon seemed to run over [
http://science.msfc…19feb_gonesaturn.htm ] bright planet Saturn as viewed [
http://www.spacewea…gallery_20feb02.html ] from much of North America. In this sharp sequence of telescopic digital images from the Powell Observatory [
http://www.askconli…powell.htm ] near Louisburg, Kansas, USA, Saturn is seen reappearing [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] from behind the bright lunar limb over a period of about 2 minutes. The ringed planet [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] emerges above the dark, smooth lunar Mare [
http://lunar.arc.na…] Crisium (Sea of Crises). This lunar occultation was widely anticipated [
http://skyandtelesc…article_297_1.asp ] in part because the ringed planet and the brilliant Moon [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] are both spectacular celestial sights. Now [
http://www.spacewea…], European sky gazers will have their turn as the Moon occults the Solar System's largest planet, Jupiter in early morning hours [
http://www.lunar-oc…0223jpred.htm ] on Saturday, February 23rd.
Explanation
Gliding through the sky on Wednesday evening, February 20th, a first quarter Moon seemed to run over [
http://science.msfc…19feb_gonesaturn.htm ] bright planet Saturn as viewed [
http://www.spacewea…gallery_20feb02.html ] from much of North America. In this sharp sequence of telescopic digital images from the Powell Observatory [
http://www.askconli…powell.htm ] near Louisburg, Kansas, USA, Saturn is seen reappearing [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] from behind the bright lunar limb over a period of about 2 minutes. The ringed planet [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] emerges above the dark, smooth lunar Mare [
http://lunar.arc.na…] Crisium (Sea of Crises). This lunar occultation was widely anticipated [
http://skyandtelesc…article_297_1.asp ] in part because the ringed planet and the brilliant Moon [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] are both spectacular celestial sights. Now [
http://www.spacewea…], European sky gazers will have their turn as the Moon occults the Solar System's largest planet, Jupiter in early morning hours [
http://www.lunar-oc…0223jpred.htm ] on Saturday, February 23rd.
Explanation
