JAKARTA, TUAHKEPRI – Today, Thursday (18/2/2021), the Moon is at its farthest from Earth. This was revealed by the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN) through its Instagram account. This phenomenon is called apogee.
Illustration of the Earth and the Moon. Pixabay/doc
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Head of LAPAN, Thomas Djamaluddin said, apogee occurs because the moon’s orbit is oval or elliptical with Earth.
“Because the moon’s orbit is elliptical, the position of the moon is sometimes the closest to Earth (perigee) and sometimes the farthest (apogee). It happens every month, ”said the Head of LAPAN, Thomas Djamaluddin, on the official website of LAPAN, Thursday (18/3/2021).
Apogee today occurred at 12.09 WITA, 15.09 WITA or 14.09 WIT. Even so, this natural phenomenon can only be witnessed when the Moon rises at around 09.30 am local time from east to northeast. It culminates in the north around 15.30 and then sets in the west to northwest at around 21.30 local time.
Thomas said, phenomenon apogee occurs naturally and has no significant impact on Earth. On the phenomenon apogee this time, the Moon is estimated to be 405,283 kilometers from Earth (geocentric). Currently, the Moon is around Aries with 19.9 percent illumination. The Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI) defines illumination as lighting with rays, both sun and moon.
While, perigee This month occurs twice this month, namely 2 March at 12.26 WIB and 30 March. Thomas said, Perigee at the beginning of March it occurred for two days, namely March 1 at 20:15 local time, and the next day at 02.10 in the morning and 21:00 o’clock local time which can be seen from the east.
Other Moon Phenomena
Besides apogee, there will be other space phenomena in the near future, namely the Triple Conjunction of the Moon, Mars, and Aldebaran. The peak of the conjunction occurred on March 20 at 2:18 a.m.
“However, the Moon and Mars can only be seen on March 19 from the end of the nautical dusk, which is 42 minutes after the sun sets,” wrote LAPAN’s Instagram.
This phenomenon can be witnessed from the northwest with an altitude of the Moon at 45 degrees. Not only with Mars, the moon will also conjunction with Aldebaran. This makes the moon, Mars and Aldebaran to form a conjunction or triangle alignment.
Another phenomenon, namely the Equinox on March 20. This phenomenon is the point where the ecliptic and the celestial equator intersect through the sun on its annual pseudo-journey from the skies of the Southern Hemisphere to the North.
“For observers who are on the Equator, you will get the Sun right above your head at midday. Meanwhile, in other places, the sun will lean north or south, ”wrote LAPAN’s Instagram.
This phenomenon also makes the sun rise almost exactly at the point of the east direction and set almost exactly at the point of the west direction.
Then the phenomenon of the last month is the Early Perbani month. This phenomenon can be witnessed since it rises at midday from the east-northeast direction, culminating in the north before sunset. In this phenomenon the Moon is about 398,531 km from Earth. (Source Validnews.id)
