A RARE alignment of six planets – Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn – is set to take place in the skies tomorrow night.
The cosmic phenomenon will be visible on June 3rd. Here’s how you can view it better.
According to experts, the upcoming alignment will be difficult to detect – but not impossible.
“Seeing the alignment will be a real challenge as it happens close to sunrise and is also quite low in the East,” explained Professor Danny Steeghs, from the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick.
This visual phenomenon differs from an astronomical alignment, which occurs when the planets come together simultaneously on the same side of the sun.
It will be a while before six planets align again…
By Millie Turner, technology and science reporter
Planet alignments are not extremely rare, especially with two to four planets.
In fact, these types of alignments happen several times a year.
The last planetary alignment seen in the Northern Hemisphere was on April 8, when the Moon aligned with the Sun in a solar eclipse.
But the alignment of five or more planets is a rarer event.
The next time we earthlings will be able to enjoy the sight of six planets aligned will be January 18, 2025.
Only then will Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn parade together again in the sky.
Other alignments are even rarer than this.
An arrangement of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune occurs approximately every 175 years – a truly once-in-a-lifetime sight.
It’s more unlikely to see all eight major planets in the same part of the sky.
This display is so rare that it only occurs once every few thousand years, with the last event recorded in 94 AD.
How to identify
Those wishing to view the display will only be able to do so if they have clear skies and a nearly flat western horizon.
It is essential to ensure that the sky is clear of obstructions such as trees or buildings.
To get the best view, stargazers were advised to use binoculars.
However, specialized equipment may be needed to detect Uranus and Neptune.
“Uranus and Neptune will be faint, so viewers will need good binoculars to see them,” Steeghs added.
“Jupiter and even Mercury are very close to the Sun, restricting its view.
“Mars and Saturn are the most accessible to see, you can see them ahead of the other planets rising and a little higher in the sky.”
To help identify the planets, Steeghs recommends using an app to guide you.
Experts have already suggested the Sky Tonight app.
The app can be pointed at any area of the night sky to provide a live view of what’s happening up there – even if it’s daytime.
Everything you need to know about the planets in our solar system
Our solar system is made up of nine planets, with Earth being the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own peculiarities, so find out more about them all…
- How old is the Earth? Plus other facts about our planet
- How many moons does Mercury have?
- What color is Venus?
- How far is Mars from Earth? And other facts about the red planet
- How big is Jupiter?
- How many moons does Saturn have?
- Does Uranus have rings?
- How many moons does Neptune have?
- How big is Pluto?
- How hot is the Sun?
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
