Jupiter And Saturn To Form Triangle With The Moon Tonight

A cosmic event is about to take place on Monday evening (June 8) as the Moon forms a triangle with the planets Jupiter and Saturn. Skygazers will be able to catch the event by looking toward the southern portion of the sky.

The upcoming event is known as a conjunction. It occurs when the waning gibbous Moon shares the same celestial longitude with Jupiter. This means that these two cosmic objects appear to align with one another when viewed from Earth.

Jupiter and Moon’s conjunction began on Monday afternoon at 1:21 p.m. EDT. After a few hours, the Moon will move closer to Saturn from Earth’s perspective, completing its conjunction with the ringed planet.

Through the cosmic event, skygazers will be able to see the Moon forming a triangle with the two planets. According to Space.com, this event is expected to take place at 10:12 p.m. EDT. The conjunction of the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn is expected to extend throughout the rest of the evening.

“The Moon, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible (weather permitting) from the southern skies,” Patrick Woudt, the head of the University of Cape Town’s Department of Astronomy, said in a statement. “The Moon will rise around 9 p.m. this evening, and you will be able to see Jupiter and Saturn in close proximity to the Moon from that time. Best viewed after 10 p.m. when the Moon has risen higher.”

Those looking to catch the cosmic event may do so by looking toward the southern portion of the sky where the Moon will be located. Jupiter will appear on the right side of the Moon, while Saturn will be centered above these two cosmic bodies.

The conjunction can be best viewed using a telescope or a pair of binoculars. It’s also advisable to view the event from a dark area to prevent light pollution from affecting the visibility or brightness of the Moon and the planets.

After the Moon’s conjunction, the next cosmic event will be the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, which occurs when Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon’s surface. This event is expected to happen on July 5.