Jordan to witness two astronomical phenomena at dawn on Wednesday and Thursday
Amman2 min read
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The skies of Jordan will witness, at dawn tomorrow, Wednesday, the moon's approach to the Pleiades star cluster, a phenomenon known in folk heritage as "Qiran al-Wasm," while the day after tomorrow, Thursday, marks the beginning of the "Spica" lunar mansion, the second of the Wasm season's mansions.
President of the Jordanian Astronomical Society, Dr. Ammar Al-Sakji, said that the moon will be in the waning gibbous phase, with an illumination of approximately 95 percent, and at an angular distance of about one degree from the Pleiades stars, which allows for observing and photographing the conjunction, although the moon's glare may limit the visibility of some of the cluster's stars.
He added that "Spica," the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, will rise in the skies of Amman around 6:00 AM on Thursday, about 50 minutes before the sun, though seeing it with the naked eye is unlikely due to its apparent proximity to the sun.
He explained that the Wasm season, according to the folk calendar, began on October 16 and continues until December 6, consisting of 4 star mansions, each lasting 13 days, which have been associated in folk heritage with autumn rains, the sprouting of vegetation, and the renewal of pastures.
Al-Sakji emphasized that the entry of the "Spica" mansion does not necessarily mean the star can be seen on that same date, noting that modern astronomical calculations do not establish a causal relationship between the moon's conjunction with the Pleiades or the rising of Spica and rainfall, which is controlled by atmospheric conditions and systems.
He pointed out that the Jordanian Astronomical Society will work to observe and document the conjunction and the rising of Spica according to available observational conditions, as part of its efforts to preserve Jordanian astronomical heritage and link it to modern scientific calculations.
