A double astronomical event not to be missed in Tunisia: occultation of Saturn and terrestrial perihelion

Tunisia, like many other countries around the world, is the scene today, Saturday, of two major astronomical phenomena: the occultation of the planet Saturn by the Moon and the passage of the Earth at the point of perihelion.

The occultation of Saturn by the Moon, a rare and spectacular phenomenon, occurs when the Moon passes directly in front of Saturn, on the Earth’s side, temporarily obscuring the planet. According to Hicham Ben Yahia, expert at the Tunisian Association of Astronomical Sciences, this phenomenon can be observed with the naked eye, from 6:50 p.m. (local time). The reappearance of the planet will be visible around 7:16 p.m.

This event, which marks the first astronomical phenomenon of the year 2025, will be visible in certain regions of Tunisia, along a line going from the southwest, near Tozeur, to the center-east, near Monastir. However, the occultation will not be perceptible south of this line. Note that this phenomenon resembles a solar eclipse, but here, it is Saturn which is obscured by the Moon and not the Sun.

At the same time, the Earth today reaches its closest point to the Sun, a phenomenon known as “perihelion”. The latter occurs every year on January 4, when the Earth is at a distance of 147,103,686 kilometers from the Sun. The event is scheduled for around 1:28 p.m. UTC, or 2:28 p.m. local time. In contrast, the aphelion point, Earth’s furthest position from the Sun, occurs every year on July 3.