Astronomers will have a chance to enjoy a special celestial treat on Monday, reports The… GordianBecause six planets appear in one line.
As they write, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus will also be participating in the special astrological event, which occurs when the planets come together on the same side of the sun.
Professor Danny Steggs from the University of Warwick said the event, which should be visible around the world, should happen at a relatively low altitude at sunrise, but some equipment will be needed to make the most of it.
Uranus and Neptune will be faint, so viewers will need good binoculars to see them
He added that the proximity of Jupiter and Mercury to the sun limits visibility.
Some planets can be seen with the naked eye, although light scattering may cause some difficulty. “Mars and Saturn will be easier to see, as you can see them rising in front of the other planets, a little higher in the sky,” Steggs noted. He also noted that mobile apps can help show when and where to look.
The paper highlighted that the planets appear in the sky in a diagonal order, with Saturn at the top, then Neptune, then Mars, Uranus, and Mercury. Jupiter appears closest to the horizon.
“We see the sun in both hemispheres, and the planets are not very far from the sun, so southerners have a similar chance of seeing the planets,” said Grant Kennedy, also from the University of Warwick.
The astronomical procession is expected to continue for several days, but those who miss it need not worry, as we may witness a similar scene in the coming years. In January and August 2025, the same planets will be visible but in a different arrangement, while next February we will see seven planets.
There will be quite a few similar events over the next few years because the exoplanets move very slowly and Earth moves very quickly
“If we wait for this particular constellation to disappear and come back again, we'll have to wait a lot longer,” Kennedy said, then promptly added.
Indeed, although according to astronomers, in 2080 six planets will also align one after the other, we will see Venus instead of Neptune.
“After Uranus and Neptune have moved further in their orbits and are no longer close together in the sky, it takes about a hundred years for Uranus to catch up with Neptune and appear close together in the sky again,” Kennedy said. “Then we have to wait until the four outer planets The other is on the same side of the sun to see its procession.”
Ed Bloomer, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, warned planetary observers not to look at the sun while searching for planets to avoid eye damage. He said that the best way to see the constellation is to go to a dark field or park and face east.
(Cover image: Solar System. Photo: Steve Allen/Getty Images)
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