Amman, July 2 (Petra) -- Jordanian skies will feature a rare astronomical display at dawn on Saturday, as Mars and Uranus appear in close apparent alignment in the constellation Taurus shortly before sunrise.

According to Ammar Al-Sakaji, head of the Jordanian Astronomical Society, the best viewing window from Jordan will be around 4:15 a.m., when both planets sit low on the eastern horizon. He said the event can be observed using telescopes or binoculars and may also be captured with mobile phone cameras mounted on a tripod.

He noted that the peak alignment occurs later at 9:10 a.m., but it will not be visible due to daylight conditions. The phenomenon can be tracked from around 3:00 a.m. until sunrise, when the planets gradually fade from view.

Al-Sakaji explained that Mars will appear noticeably brighter than Uranus, making Uranus difficult to spot without optical aid. He added that Mars has an apparent magnitude of about +1.3, while Uranus is much dimmer at +5.8, requiring telescopic assistance for clear observation.

He emphasized that the event is an apparent alignment as seen from Earth, caused by orbital geometry rather than physical proximity, despite the vast distance between the two planets, about 314 million kilometers for Mars and roughly 3 billion kilometers for Uranus.

He added that the Jordanian Astronomical Society will observe and document the phenomenon from the eastern desert as part of its ongoing efforts to monitor celestial events and promote public interest in astronomy.

//Petra//WH