Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria to witness Moon occult Saturn on 21 August

Photo: The Astronomical Observatory at the University of Sofia

Occasionally, the Moon occults a planet in the Solar System, and if that planet is one of the five brightest, the phenomenon can be observed with the naked eye or binoculars. On the morning of 21 August 2024, Bulgaria will witness the Moon occulting Saturn, an astronomical event in which the Moon passes directly in front of Saturn, temporarily obscuring it from view.

This was announced by Pencho Markishki, a physicist from the Institute of Astronomy of the National Academy of Sciences and the Department of Astronomy of the Physics Faculty of Sofia University. For the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Sofia (in Sofia), the phenomenon will begin at around 06:42:12 on 21 August, and the moon will set at 08:26. 

For the Nicolaus Copernicus Observatory - Varna, the occultation will begin at around 06:44:42 and the moon will set at 08:06, the specialist said.

He advised amateur photographers to use an orange or red light filter to reduce the blue glow of the sky when trying to capture the phenomenon.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Code yellow for hot weather in 8 districts in eastern Bulgaria

On Wednesday, the western part of the country will be cloudy and rainy with thunderstorms and hail possible . Eastern Bulgaria will be mostly sunny. Minimum temperatures will be between 16 and 21°C, 18°C in Sofia. Maximum temperatures will range from..

published on 8/20/24 7:05 PM

Police bust trafficking channel for migrants through the so-called "Western Balkan Route"

An organized international group composed of Syrian, Jordanian, Bulgarian and Moldovan citizens has been neutralized, the Ministry of the Interior reported.  The specialized police operation against a trafficking channel for migrants through the..

published on 8/20/24 5:59 PM

Weak earthquake felt in Sofia

A weak earthquake was registered in Sofia a minute before 4:00 p.m. It had a magnitude of 2.7 on the Richter scale and was felt on the high floors of some districts of the capital - "Druzhba", "Mladost", "Studentski Grad" and "Malinova Dolina"...

published on 8/20/24 5:42 PM