Planet watching is one of the most amazing ways to see the magic of the night sky, and there’s no better way to do it than with a multi-planet alignment. On Tuesday, January 21, six planets: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, will be visible simultaneously in the sky, from almost every part of the globe. If you miss your chance to view the night sky on January 21, don’t worry, there’s plenty of time to catch this planetary parade.
The alignment will be visible for about a month, until mid-to-late February. However, the positions of the planets will change during this time, those on January 21 will not be the same as at the end of February. While conjunctions of two planets are common, alignments of five or more are quite rare.; two with five or more planets are expected this year, but after that, we’ll have to wait until 2040 for the next alignment.
Here you have everything you need to know to view it through the different instruments: binoculars and telescope. And don’t forget: the planets will not literally be aligned in space; What happens is that from Earth’s perspective, we can see them as if they were “online.”
How and when to see them
For the best vision, wait 20 to 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. The planetary alignment should be viewed after sunset and from a location away from artificial lightwhich makes it difficult to see objects in the night sky.
Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn and Venus will appear in an east-west arc. You can see four stars with the naked eye; however, for Uranus and Neptune you will require a good pair of high-powered binoculars or a backyard telescope. If you’re not sure how to find them, don’t worry: there are apps that can help you locate planets and other celestial objects.
The reason why it is better to wait for sunset to see Venus, Saturn and Neptune is because they set between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. (CST, Mexico time). Please note that the exact rising and setting times of each planet will vary depending on your location on Earth.; Look at websites to find your time zone.
One last tip: If possible, watch the sky in the early afternoon, as Venus, Saturn and Neptune will move towards the horizon before setting, making them increasingly difficult to see as the night progresses.
Mars
NASA/JPL/MALIN SPACE SCIENCE SYSTEMS
On January 21, Mars will be in the east, directly under the constellation Gemini. This star has just reached “opposition”, which means that the Earth is directly between it and the Sun; so the Red Planet will appear at its largest and brightest and will be visible throughout the night. Of all the planets, this will be the easiest to see. If you use a telescope, you can see its northern polar cap, which extends more than 600 miles (965 kilometers), and the Vallis Marineris, the largest canyon in the solar system, which runs along Mars’ equator and is more than 1,800 miles (about 2,900 kilometers) long.
Jupiter
NASA, JPL-Caltech, SwRI, MSSS | Image processing by Kevin M. Gill, © CC BY
Jupiter will be west of Mars, in the constellation of Taurus. High-powered binoculars will allow you to see its moons and possibly its cloud bands. If you’re a fan of detail, you might want to opt for a telescope to spot Jupiter’s cloud bands and its impressive Red Spot, an anticyclone more than 16,000 kilometers wide, 1.3 times the width of Earth.
#alignment #planets #January