The unique intersect will be visible by the naked eye.
Qatar’s skies will witness the Ramadan crescent moon meet the red planet Mars at an angular distance of 0.1 degrees arc, the Qatar Calendar House announced.
Dr. Bashir Marzouq, an astronomer at the Qatar Calendar House, said that Qatar’s community will be able to observe the staggering crossing of planet Mars and the moon with the naked eye or astronomical devices, this weekend.
People can witness the intersection on Saturday, April 17, starting from Qatar’s sunset time at 5:58pm until 10:28pm, the institution said.
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The phenomenon occurs when a planet or star passes behind the moon for a certain period of time before reappearing again. During that time, the moon blocks the Earth’s vision of the planet, creating a phenomenal sight for those who love astronomy.
Dr. Marzouk also added that both experts and the average citizen will be able to take decent pictures of both the moon and Mars together using normal cameras or astronomical devices due to their very close proximity.
To add to the excitement, on Thursday, April 15, the moon will be near the shining star of Aldebaran, so residents of Qatar will be able to see them both together with the naked eye above the Western horizon of the country’s sky.
The star of Aldebaran is the brightest star in the Taurus constellation and has a diameter 60 times that of the sun’s.
The Aldebaran sighting will be visible starting after sunset up until 8:53 pm, the institution added.
