Xinhua News Agency, Tianjin, June 18 (Reporter Zhou Runjian) On June 20, if the weather is fine, the Chinese public can enjoy such a scene almost all night: a full moon and the famous star Antares close proximity "companion".

In the process of "surveying the sky" along the ecliptic, the moon will pass by the planets and stars near the ecliptic each month, and the phenomenon of "combined moon" will occur. If the "conjunction" is close enough, the moon can even block out the object, a phenomenon called "lunar occultation." Lunar occultations are common, but most of what the moon obscures is a dim star that is hard to see with the naked eye, and the bright stars that are visible to the naked eye are harder to obscure.

"On the evening of June 20, the moon will pass into the constellation Scorpius, and a rare lunar eclipse of Antares will occur. Antares, or Alpha Scorpii, is a massive red giant and a well-known star of magnitude 1, striking the southern sky on summer nights. In ancient China, the second heart was called "fire", and the West called it "the enemy of Mars". "As the moon passes over Antares, the occultation mainly passes over the Pacific Ocean and Oceania. Although the southeastern part of China is located at the edge of the occultation, it cannot see the whole process of occultation, because the moon has not yet risen when the occultation occurs, and only in the sunset, you can see the final moment of the occultation of the newly risen Antares from behind the moon. However, at this time, the moon is not high enough to the horizon, and it is easily blocked by trees and buildings, and it is still bright, making it difficult to observe. Beijing Astronomical Society member Pu Shi said.

"Because of the distance between the moon and Antares, even if the moon is strong, Antares can compete with it. And over time, the distance between the two will become larger, making it easier to see Antares." Pu Shi warned, "To see this' star-moon dialogue 'more clearly, it is best to go to places with less light pollution, such as suburbs and rural areas." In addition to viewing with the naked eye, members of the public who have the conditions can also observe with binoculars or telescopes, or use a camera to connect a telephoto lens or telescope to take continuous shots, and freeze the two in the same frame."

On the evening of June 20, the moon will pass into the constellation Scorpius, and a rare lunar eclipse of Antares will occur. Antares, or Alpha Scorpii, is a massive red giant and a well-known star of magnitude 1, striking the southern sky on summer nights. In ancient China, the second heart was called "fire", and the West called it "the enemy of Mars". "As the moon passes over Antares, the occultation mainly passes over the Pacific Ocean and Oceania. Although the southeastern part of China is located at the edge of the occultation, it cannot see the whole process of occultation, because the moon has not yet risen when the occultation occurs, and only in the sunset, you can see the final moment of the occultation of the newly risen Antares from behind the moon. However, at this time, the moon is not high enough to the horizon, and it is easily blocked by trees and buildings, and it is still bright, making it difficult to observe. Beijing Astronomical Society member Pu Shi said.

"Because of the distance between the moon and Antares, even if the moon is strong, Antares can compete with it. And over time, the distance between the two will become larger, making it easier to see Antares." Pu Shi warned, "To see this' star-moon dialogue 'more clearly, it is best to go to places with less light pollution, such as suburbs and rural areas." In addition to viewing with the naked eye, members of the public who have the conditions can also observe with binoculars or telescopes, or use a camera to connect a telephoto lens or telescope to take continuous shots, and freeze the two in the same frame."