Amateur astronomers and stargazers are in for a surprise this evening: a rare "planetary parade" where six planets will be seen in the night sky.
Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will be visible today. Four of them can be seen with the naked eye, while to see all six planets, you will need a powerful telescope or binoculars to catch Uranus and Neptune.
All planets orbit the same ecliptic, making it possible for them to occasionally align in a way that can be distinguished from Earth.
Dr. David Armstrong, associate professor of astronomy at the University of Warwick, says: “The chances of seeing four bright planets with the naked eye happen on average every few years, so it’s not a once-in-a-lifetime event. But the planets are most visible just after sunset, and this is one of the best opportunities for several years.”
How to see the planets
The planetary parade has been underway since the beginning of the month, but so far planets like Venus and Mercury have been very low and the setting sun has made them difficult to spot. This makes tonight and tomorrow night the best chance to see all six planets spread out across the sky.
Mercury will appear near the western horizon, after sunset.
Venus, also visible to the naked eye, will be near and slightly to the left of Mercury. The two planets are so close together that you can't see one without the other.
Saturn will appear slightly higher, visible due to its yellow glow.
Jupiter will be higher and easier to spot, shining as the brightest spot.
Uranus and Neptune require a telescope or binoculars; Uranus near the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus, and Neptune near Saturn.
Dr. Armstrong suggests finding a spot with an open western horizon and avoiding city lights for the best view. Care with the telescope is essential, especially for viewing planets near the sun, as looking directly at them can cause serious eye damage.
Myths about planetary parades
Many people think that planetary alignments can cause natural disasters or alter the Earth's gravitational pull. According to Dr. Shyam Balaji of King's College London: "These alignments are simply geometric coincidences and have no known physical impact on Earth. Their gravitational pull is insignificant compared to that of the Moon or the Sun."
So, tonight you can enjoy a rare spectacle in the sky without fear of consequences, and the four most visible planets can be admired simply with the naked eye. /GazetaExpress/
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