The Jeddah Astronomical Society announced that the skies of the Kingdom and the Arab world will witness a significant astronomical event today, Friday, January 9, 2025, involving the planet Mars, scientifically known as the "solar conjunction." Engineer Majid Abu Zahra, head of the society, explained that this event causes the red planet to disappear completely from view for several weeks, as its light merges with the sun's bright glare, rendering it unobservable with either the naked eye or telescopes.
What is solar conjunction?
The conjunction of Mars occurs periodically, approximately every 26 months. This natural phenomenon results from the Earth and Mars orbiting the Sun at different speeds and distances. At this time, Mars is directly opposite Earth in relation to the Sun, with the Sun acting as both an optical and physical barrier between the two planets. This period marks a significant transition in the planet's observational cycle, as it moves from the evening sky to the morning sky.
From a scientific and technical standpoint, this event not only affects optical observation but also casts a shadow over space exploration missions. During periods of solar conjunction, global space agencies like NASA typically suspend sending complex commands to spacecraft and probes on or in orbit around Mars because the hot plasma emitted by the sun can interfere with radio signals, potentially causing data loss or the execution of incorrect commands.
farthest distance from Earth
Abu Zahra explained that the distance between Earth and Mars reaches its peak during this event, at approximately 359 million kilometers. This vast distance makes the planet's apparent diameter very small, not exceeding 3.9 arcseconds. Even assuming, for the sake of argument, that sunlight could be blocked, the planet would appear as an extremely faint point of light lacking any distinctive surface details, rendering any attempt to observe it scientifically pointless at this time.
Mars' reappearance and the risks of current observation
The head of the Jeddah Astronomical Society added that the planet will begin to gradually move away from the sun's glare over the coming weeks, reappearing on the eastern horizon before sunrise. The planet will undergo a long journey of changes, with its brightness and apparent size slowly increasing over the months, culminating in the phenomenon of "opposition" in about two years. This is the golden period for observing Mars, when it is at its closest point to Earth and at its brightest.
In closing his report, Abu Zahra issued a stern warning to amateur astronomers and photographers against pointing binoculars or telescopes at Mars' current position in the sky. He emphasized that its extreme proximity to the sun poses a serious risk, as even a minor error could result in concentrated sunlight entering the field of view, causing immediate retinal burns that could lead to permanent blindness. He stressed the importance of adhering to astronomical safety standards.
