Astronomical phenomena observed from Vietnam in the Year of the Monkey

In the Year of the Goat, astronomers admire remarkable events such as meteor shower, super-eclipse . In the year of the Monkey, those who like to watch the sky in Vietnam are also admired with meteor shower, partial eclipse .

Below is the time when astronomical phenomena can be observed in Vietnam, according to Dang Vu Tuan Son, Chairman of Vietnam Young Astronomical Society (VACA). Most of these events can be observed with the naked eye or amateur optical instruments, but to be able to see the phenomenon clearly, conditions such as time, weather, and pollution of the atmosphere are needed. .

1. February 7 (December 29, the year of the Goat): Mercury reaches the farthest point westward from the Sun. At dawn, Mercury will lie highest in the eastern sky before the Sun rises. With a small telescope or binoculars, observers can see the planet.

2. On March 8, Jupiter arrived directly. This is the time when the largest solar system is located opposite the Sun across the Earth, which is the best time to observe Jupiter. A small telescope or binoculars would be a good tool to observe Jupiter and its Galilei satellites.

3. March 9: Partial eclipse. In fact, this is a total solar eclipse, but in Vietnam it is only possible to observe solar eclipses in the form of partial (obscure rate when observed in the South and the Central region is larger than the North). In order to observe this phenomenon, viewers need to be instructed about safety measures.

4. March 23: The moon is half dark. At this half-moon eclipse, the Moon does not go completely into the dark half of the Earth, so only a sizable portion of it turns light red, one remains bright. However, this is also an interesting phenomenon to observe with the naked eye. In Vietnam, part of this phenomenon can be observed.

Meteor shower is one of the astronomical phenomenon "coming back up" that sky lovers can observe.(Source: guardianlv).

5. In the evening of April 18: Mercury is at the farthest point to the East compared to the Sun. At this time, the observer can direct the telescope or binoculars towards Mercury when it is at the highest position in the western sky immediately after the Sun goes down.

6. Night 22, 23 April: Lyrids meteor shower. This is a small meteor shower originating from debris of comet C / 1861 G1 Thatcher. At extreme times it can reach about 20 meteor streaks every hour.

7. Night 6, dawn on May 7: Meteor shower of Eta Aquarids. This is a medium sized meteor shower with about 30 to 60 meteors per hour at its peak.

8. Day 9/5: Mercury passes through the Sun. This is an interesting astronomical phenomenon, very rare and only happens next in 2019 and then to 2039. At this event, Mercury will glide through the bright disk of the Sun. With the tools allowed to observe the Sun, viewers could see its shadow passing by obscuring a small portion of sunlight. Most of the northern region of our country will observe this phenomenon , the area from the central region upwards cannot be observed.

9. May 22: Mars comes to its position directly. This is the time when the red planet is facing the Sun through the Earth. If there is a telescope, this will be the best time to observe Mars.

10. June 3: Saturn arrives directly. As for Jupiter and Mars, this is the best time of the year to observe this planet through a telescope.

11. Night 28, 29/7: Delta Aquarids meteor shower. This is meteor shower below average with only 20 meteor tracks per hour.

12. Night 12, dawn on August 13: Meteor shower Perseids. Derived from comet Swift-Tuttle , this is one of the largest meteor showers every year with a density of over 60 meteor streaks every hour, often with many long and bright star streaks.

13. Evening 27 August: Venus and Jupiter meet. This is the time when the two brightest points in the sky (after the Sun and the Moon) will meet and almost merge into one.

14. Night 16, dawn on September 17: Moon is half dark. At this half-moon eclipse, a large portion of the Moon entering the dark half of the Earth will turn light red. In Vietnam, the whole phenomenon can be observed with the naked eye.

Moon really half dark.(Source: wordpress.com).

15. October 7: Draconids meteor shower. This is a small meteor shower with a peak density of only 10 meteor tracks per hour even when the weather is ideal.

16. Night 21, 22/10: Meteor shower Orionids. This is a medium-sized meteor shower with a density of about 20 or more meteors per hour.

17. Night 17, 18 November: Meteor shower Leonids . This is an average meteor shower with a density of about 15-20 meteors per hour to the extreme. However, the appearance of the Moon will greatly obstruct Leonids observation.

18. Night 13, 14/12: Meteor shower Geminids. This is the largest meteor shower in the year with a peak that can reach up to 120 meteors per hour. The center of this meteor shower is the Gemini constellation. At this time, the moonlight will be a big obstacle to observation, but if the weather is reasonable and in less polluted areas, this is still a remarkable astronomical phenomenon.