Watching the Skies with Brad Klein: Jan. 8-14 -- Saturn and the Moon

LehighValleyNews.com | By Brad Klein

Published January 8, 2024 at 6:00 AM EST

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Brad Klein reviews the week’s astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s "Backyard Astronomy Guy," Marty McGuire.

This week we have a "close approach" of the planet Saturn and the Earth’s moon.

In space, Saturn is almost a billion miles away, about 4000 times more distant than the moon.

On Sunday, Jan. 14, the two heavenly bodies will appear close together in the night sky, just after sunset.

In reality, they are quite far from each other.

The moon, only about 224,000 miles away, while Saturn is about 972 million miles from Earth.

The pair will be 7 degrees apart, according to NASA, with the planet to the lower right of the growing young crescent moon.

Brad and Marty — Brad Klein and Marty McGuire.

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Brad Klein

I was a founding member of the WLVR News team in 2019, bringing more than 20 years of experience in radio journalism, podcast, and video production. I’ve had a role in a number of long-running programs at NPR, MSNBC and WNYC. A founding producer of NPR’s “Talk of the Nation: Science Friday,” I played similar start-up roles for NPR’s Weekly Edition, MSNBC’s Edgewise, Public Radio International’s Satellite Sisters and even as a writer on one of the early pilot episodes of the news/comedy show, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. I’ve also worked as a reporter, producer, and director for National Public Radio News programs including Weekend Edition and All Things Considered. An avid naturalist, I lead educational programs for the American Museum of Natural History and Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

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