NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    More
    In the news
    Joe Biden
    United States of America
    COVID-19
    Russia-Ukraine crisis
    NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout


    India Business World Politics Sports Technology Entertainment Auto Lifestyle Inspirational Career Bengaluru Delhi Mumbai Visual Stories Find Cricket Statistics Phones Reviews Fitness Bands Reviews Speakers Reviews

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
     
    Home / News / World News / South African man uses smartphone to capture Saturn 'touching' Moon
    World

    South African man uses smartphone to capture Saturn 'touching' Moon

    South African man uses smartphone to capture Saturn 'touching' Moon
    Written by Ayushi Chamoli
    Edited by Pallabi C Samal
    Apr 26, 2019, 06:45 pm 3 min read
    South African man uses smartphone to capture Saturn 'touching' Moon

    Saturn lined up with the Moon almost perfectly on March 29, which appeared as if it was touching the lunar object. While most of us missed the common event, an astrophotographer, Grant Petersen, from Johannesburg, South Africa, captured a stunning image of the same from his Samsung Galaxy S8 mounted on a telescope. He shared the picture on his Twitter handle, @GP_O11.

    Petersen tweeted the picture after the event

    That was frickin spectacular. This mornings #Moon #Saturn #Occultation at ingress from #Johannesburg captured with a #GalaxyS8 7mm eyepiece 2 x Barlow and 8" Sky-watcher dobsonian telescope. 5 sec vid run through PIPP and stacked with registax #Smartphone #astrophotography pic.twitter.com/H8sSirrS2Z

    — GrantPetersen (@GP_O11) March 29, 2019

    Petersen captured a conjunction, but what is it?

    This astronomical phenomenon captured by Petersen is called conjunction, which occurs when two celestial bodies appear to meet each other. It involves the moon in most of the cases. Moreover, all conjunctions are only from the perspective of the Earth, and no two solar bodies actually come close together. The conjunction symbol, which is usually handwritten, is not used in modern astronomy.

    Nothing gonna get me off this astronomy high, Petersen tweets

    Though Saturn was in motion, Petersen captured it just before the planet slipped behind the moon. The image posted by him, however, is a combination of various images taken by him. Expressing his excitement, he tweeted, "That was frickin spectacular. I'm smiling from ear to ear, nothing gonna get me off this astronomy high." Notably, Peterson keeps a track of all upcoming astronomy events.

    This event has been on Petersen's mind since January

    Petersen told that he uses a number of astronomy apps and diaries to keep track of the events from passing comets to International Space Station zipping by. This particular event has been on his mind since January and to achieve the picture, he planned the photography. According to reports, he was excited about the event until Johannesburg witnessed rain a day before the event.

    Petersen woke up two hours before to set up equipment

    However, to his luck, the sky cleared up on 'D-day'. Petersen said, "When an event like this comes along and all goes according to plan, and [we] can avoid issues like weather, equipment failure, or human error, it feels like a great accomplishment." That day, he woke up at 4 AM, two hours before the event, in order to set up his equipment.

    Merged several lower-quality images into one brighter picture

    In order to capture the perfect image, Petersen used a cheaper but powerful telescope, 20cm Dobsonian, his smartphone (Galaxy S8), an adaptor to connect it to the lens and an eyepiece. He recorded the event at 60 frames per second as the planet approached the moon. Later, he processed it using stacking, a technique which merges lower-quality images into one clearer and brighter picture.

    Petersen now waiting for transit of Mercury across the sun

    He added, "I felt like a kid at Christmas. I got a comment that said it reminded them of the first earthrise pic from the Apollo missions." In another of his picture, Saturn can be seen as just a fraction of its actual size, 1.5bn km away from Earth. Petersen's next aim is when Mercury will be in transit across the sun, on November 11.

    Share this timeline
    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Latest
    South Africa
    International Space Station (ISS)
    Saturn
    Johannesburg

    Latest

    Amritsar: Security beefed up amid speculations of Amritpal Singh's surrender   Khalistani
    Everything we know about the Realme GT Neo5 SE Realme
    Jos Buttler slams his second-fastest IPL fifty: Key stats Jos Buttler
    Rahul Gandhi moves Surat court against conviction in defamation case Rahul Gandhi

    South Africa

    Madhya Pradesh: Namibian cheetah gives birth at Kuno National Park Madhya Pradesh
    MP: 12 South African cheetahs arrive at Kuno National Park Madhya Pradesh
    Madhya Pradesh: India all set to welcome 12 African cheetahs Madhya Pradesh
    Add these unique South African accommodations to your bucket list Travel And Tourism

    International Space Station (ISS)

    Meet Amit Kshatriya, the Indian-American scientist heading NASA's Moon-to-Mars program NASA
    How NASA will crash ISS into Pacific Ocean in 2031 NASA
    Here's how these astronauts grew tomatoes on the ISS NASA
    NASA-SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts return from ISS after five-month mission NASA

    Saturn

    These five planets will come together in late March Space News
    NASA shares stunning image of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus NASA
    How scientists plan to find life on Saturn's moon Enceladus NASA
    NASA's Hubble image reveals stunning details of Saturn's iconic rings NASA

    Johannesburg

    5 budget-friendly accommodation options in Johannesburg for solo travelers Sustainability
    South African President Ramaphosa remembers Gandhiji; Sushma discusses bilateral cooperation Sushma Swaraj
    Anti-apartheid icon, Nelson Mandela's ex-wife Winnie Mandela dies at 81 Nelson Mandela

    Love World News?

    Subscribe to stay updated.

    World Thumbnail
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2023