Abu Dhabi: The morning sky lit as three of the brightest celestial objects formed a rare astronomical phenomenon early on Sunday.
The planet Jupiter was seen in very close proximity (0.5 degrees) to the Moon with Venus at a seven-degree distance.
“This type of planet conjunction happens every two or three years, but the combination of Jupiter and Venus is an even rarer sight and a spectacular one at that,” said Engineer Mohammad Shawkat Odeh of the UAE Astronomical Society.
The last recorded appearance of the crescent moon along with its luminous companions was four years ago and was visible worldwide.
The event included an occultation (eclipse) of planet Jupiter with the moon which most recently happened in 1998.
Meanwhile, many people in the UAE have reported sightings of a black spot appearing on the sun, noticable during dawn and dusk, when the sun is hazy, Hasan Ahmad Al Hariri, CEO of the Dubai Astronomy Group told Gulf News.
“This spot is actually 10 times the size of the Earth and is the result of increased explosive activity on the surface of the sun,” Al Hariri said.
“NASA, as well as other major astronomical institutions, are warning of a solar storm to hit our planet next year. This storm will release alpha, beta and x-rays which will affect telecommunications and technology but is not suspected to harm humans,” he added.
NASA also noted that this is the second major solar storm to occur since 2001.
