Check the dates: Some astronomical phenomena can be seen this summer from Côte d’Or. However, these will be very limited compared to other years. As Jérémy Balledant of the Astronomical Society of Burgundy (SAB) explains, we can basically expect “reconciliations”, i.e. planets or stars appearing closer than usual from Earth.
July 12th: Jupiter
Observations can begin on Wednesday, July 12, in the second part of the night. On the eastern horizon, the moon will be very close to Jupiter. The latter is easy to notice: “It shines so much because it’s so much brighter than the stars,” notes Jeremy Pallidan.
July 25th
That night, Mercury can be visible provided you follow certain rules. This planet is the first in the solar system to start from the sun, often drowning in its halo. So far away, it rarely rises high in our earthly sky. To have a chance of seeing it, it would be necessary to have clear skies with a very clear horizon.
July 28th
On Friday, July 28, at midnight on the southern horizon, this time the Moon will appear very close to Antares, a star in the constellation Scorpius. However, they are very far in the galaxy: the Moon is located about 380,000 km from the Earth, and the opposite of Antares is about … 550 light years away!
3 and 8 August
On the eastern horizon on August 3, the moon’s close proximity to Saturn—a planet famous for its rings—can be observed from Côte d’Or. A few days later, on August 8, still on the eastern horizon, the moon will appear very close to Jupiter this time.
The Astronomical Society will offer several meetings over the summer. The full program can be found at his social networks.
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