The Press Stories
The sky in the Egyptian capital Cairo is marked by an astronomical event on Saturday evening, the night of the month of Ramadan, the conjunction of the moon and Mars.
The Astronomical and Geophysical Research Institute has organized a forum to observe this phenomenon, which occurs several times a year due to differences in the orbits of the Moon and Mars.
The fusion of the Moon and the Red Planet in a beautiful astronomical scene lasted about 4 hours.
These events are an opportunity to introduce the general public to astronomy and to raise their general scientific awareness.
Ashraf Shaker, head of the astronomy department at the National Astronomical and Geophysical Research Institute in Egypt, said the astronomical event was not rare, but was an opportunity for astronomers to learn about Mars and its proximity to the moon.
He explained that the astronomical event was an opportunity to explain what the stars are now in the sky, what is the significance of astronomy in public life, and what this has to do with Egyptian history.
He continued: “Egypt is one of the oldest countries to have used astronomy to build temples, perpendicular to the face of King Ramses II, and to have built pyramids.”
“There are a lot of people who connect Hisham al-Jabbar group with the construction of the pyramids,” Shaker explained.
Regarding the merger, the head of the astronomy department said that the existence of Mars next to the Moon is an event that recurs more than once a year because the orbit of Mars differs from the orbit of the Moon, so the number of connections varies each year.
He explained that sometimes connections come between two planets like Jupiter and Mars or between Mars and other stars.
He pointed out that during the observance of the crescent festival of the month of Ramadan, Venus and Mars could be seen after sunset, which coincides with the sunset and helps to determine the crescent position at this time in this regard. Sun, Mars and Venus.
He concluded by saying that meetings are an opportunity to introduce people to the sky, astronomy and its significance.
