Astronomy enthusiasts are bracing for a dazzling celestial display later this month, with five planets from the solar system visible from Earth as part of a rare planetary alignment.
On March 28, Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars and Venus are expected to line up in a small part of the sky shortly after sunset.
Two of the brighter planets, Mercury and Jupiter, were spotted near the horizon, while Venus was expected to shine higher in the sky.
Although binoculars are required to find Uranus, Mars can be seen aligned close to the Moon, which is in its first ascending square phase.
While it’s not unusual to see two or three planets in the sky, five planets is less common. Such an alignment occurred last year and in both 2016 and 2020.
And last year, stargazers in the northern hemisphere had the opportunity to look at Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn at the same time.
And to easily spot the planets at the end of this month, it’s recommended to use apps like Star Walk’s Sky Tonight, which can be turned towards the night sky to provide a vivid picture of what’s going on.
According to Beth Beller of the University of Edinburgh, some planets will be easier to see than others.
And he explained: “Venus and Jupiter are very bright and easy to see, and you may have seen them close together over the past few weeks. Mars is relatively faint, but easily visible to the eye. To see Mercury, you can clearly see the horizon in Dark Darkness. “It becomes difficult to see Mercury because you have to be in one position. Uranus is the faintest in light and the hardest to see. The sky watcher will need binoculars or a telescope to see. this.”
Sky & Telescope senior editor Rick Fienberg confirmed on March 28 that it may be difficult to see all five planets at once and depending on one’s location.
In less than a month, the alignment of Mercury, Uranus, Venus and Mars is expected to occur again in the 35-degree part of the sky. Then on April 24, Mars, Venus, Uranus and Mercury will conjoin at 40 degrees.
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Arabic RT
