Astronomers at the Royal Observatory Greenwich are here to offer advice on how to spot the interstellar planetary spectacle over the coming nights and weeks – even if you miss Monday’s spectacular show.
Five planets were seen in the sky last night when they lined up close to the moon.
Stargazers who stayed up late Monday can spot Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, and Mars on the horizon — all with the naked eye.
They were visible even in such a bright city as London.
But don’t worry too much if you miss it yourself.
Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer Anna Jamon Ross told Sky News that Mercury and Venus in particular should be making a show some time into the future.
This is because they approach what is known as “largest elongation”.
“This happens when the planet appears to be farthest in the sky from the Sun,” said Ms. Jamon-Ross.
Mercury is on April 11th, so it will remain easy to spot until then. Venus will follow on June 4th.
Gammon-Ross added: “Because Mercury orbits so close to the sun, most of the time these objects are too close together to see Mercury clearly – and looking too close to the sun is dangerous for your eyes.
“This means that the farther Mercury appears from the sun, the easier it is to detect.”
What about the other three planets?
The news isn’t very positive if you’re particularly interested in Mars, Jupiter, or Uranus.
This particular triple planet is positioned a little earlier with each passing night — meaning they spend less time out of the night and lower in the sky.
On Tuesday evening, Jupiter will set at around 8.20pm in the UK – just an hour after sunset.
It will be so low by then that it will likely be obscured by buildings or trees if you live in a built-up area. You may have more luck if you live in the countryside.
Jamon-Ross said Jupiter will be completely invisible by April 10th.
To give yourself the best chance of seeing the three planets beginning to fall, Ms. Jamon-Ross Observatory recommends using a telescope or binoculars.
Why do planetary alignments happen?
Unlike Earth, the solar system is shaped like a flat disk – the planets orbit around the same area in space.
It makes the tangential alignment “inevitable,” said astronomer Jake Foster, also of the Greenwich Observatory.
“This can happen a few times a year,” he told Sky News.
“The amount of planets you can see changes, the order of the planets can change.”
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When will it happen next?
The next alignment will occur in the fall, involving Mercury, Saturn, Venus, Uranus, and Mars.
“We always encourage people to get out there and feel more connected to the sky above them,” said Mr. Foster.
“These events are a great opportunity to get out there and there are some easy targets to see — the amazing planets of the solar system.”
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