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Credit: Pete Lawrence
(Digital-Astronomy)
Explanation:
The March 3rd
total
lunar eclipse was widely viewed by denizens
of planet Earth.
But only a day before, well placed observers could
also watch
a lunar occultation of Saturn as the planet passed behind the
nearly Full Moon.
From Selsey, UK, astronomer Pete Lawrence actually saw
Saturn graze the lunar limb, the Moon's bright surface
dramatically eclipsing
a substantial part of the gas giant's
spectacular rings.
In this summary view of the
grazing
occultation, south is up and
Saturn's position is shown every 90 seconds in a composite of images
constructed from video frames.
The frames were all recorded near the
occultation
event, then combined and adjusted to compensate for the
large difference in brightness between Saturn and
the lunar surface.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Saturn - saturn rings - occultation - Moon
Publications with words: Saturn - saturn rings - occultation - Moon
See also: