This week it will be possible to observe how the 5 planets of the solar system will be very close to each other at the same time in the night sky.
The 5 planets of the solar system, namely Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus and Mercury, will line up right next to each other during one such phenomenon, more commonly known as the planetary parade. ScienceAlert writes that to see this astronomical phenomenon, the sky will be very clear, and perhaps binoculars or a small telescope will be needed to better observe celestial objects.
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When will the parade of planets take place?
According to astronomers, 5 planets at the same time, namely Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus and Mercury will be positioned close to each other in the coming days, and this event will be visible in the east before sunrise on Saturday, June 17th. This is thought to be a very rare planetary alignment, and distinguishing these planets among bright stars can be difficult and may require binoculars or a small telescope. While these planets can be seen on June 16 and even June 18 in that order, they will appear particularly bright in the night sky on June 17.
How to see a rare planetary parade?
- About an hour before sunrise on Saturday, June 17, face east. The brightest of the 5 planets will be visible to Jupiter, which is easy to spot even with the naked eye. This planet will “hang” not far from the horizon.
- After seeing Jupiter, you need to look a little up and to the right. In the southeast, Saturn, which will not be as bright and massive as Jupiter, will be visible, but this entire planet will also be visible to the naked eye.
- Next, you should look for Mercury, which will be located slightly to the left and below Jupiter, and this planet can still be found without special devices.
- Problems may arise when searching for the planets most distant from Earth – Uranus and Neptune. They’re just too dim and you need binoculars or a telescope to see them, even if the sky is very clear.
- For example, Neptune should be sought somewhere in the middle between Jupiter and Saturn, and between Uranus – between Mercury and Jupiter.
- All 5 planets will be placed from the horizon in this order: Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn.
According to astronomers, this phenomenon is called parade of planets, but in reality the planets are not aligned and this is more of a visual phenomenon, as you can see from Earth that some planets are close to each other and are in line. During this planetary alignment, several planets appear simultaneously in the sky on the same side of the Sun and are visually close together in a small area of the sky.
When is the next rare planet alignment?
The next time such a planetary alignment of 5 planets can be seen is September 8, 2040.
If you want to see what other planets look like, especially the surface of Mars, a great picture of the Curiosity rover I wrote earlier will help. Focus.
As for Saturn, astronomers discovered the essential elements for life on one of its moons. So, as I wrote earlier, extraterrestrial microorganisms can be found on Enceladus. Focus.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.