Amateur astronomers are preparing for celestial pleasure on Friday, as the five planets, visible to the naked eye, are arranged in order of their distance from the sun through the oversight sky.
For those who may face an early start and have unobstructed views of the east and southeast horizons, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn may be visible before the weakest Mercury disappears in the glow of sunrise.
It is not uncommon to see two or three planets close together, but the five that can be seen with the naked eye have not appeared in a row seen from the northern hemisphere since December 2004.
“That’s really great,” said Prof. Beth Biller, personal chair of exoplanet characterization at the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. “We now know of many other stars that host many planets. This is a rare opportunity to see the same thing closer to home, as all five planets with the “naked eye” in our solar system are seen at once. “
Graphics of the planets
The planets of the solar system orbit the sun in a remarkably narrow plane, which means that viewed from Earth, they appear to lie close to an imaginary line in the sky called the ecliptic. The five planets will rise above the horizon in the early hours of Friday, although it may be difficult to see them all until later in the month.
Dr Greg Brown, a public astronomy at the Royal Greenwich Museums, said that Venus and Jupiter would be the easiest to see, with Venus above the horizon at around 4am British time and Mars and Jupiter visible from about 2.45 in the morning.
Saturn rises above the horizon around 1.30 in the morning, but like Mars it will be difficult to see at dusk. Mercury will be the most difficult to spot, as it only rises around 4:30 in the morning, when it will be difficult to see in the light before dawn and will remain close to the horizon.
“Your only chance to see all five planets at once is through a very narrow window after Mercury rose, but before the sun rose,” Brown said.
“A pair of binoculars or a telescope may be enough to overcome the twilight in the case of weaker planets, but be very careful when trying to observe Mercury in this way. Make sure the sun is below the horizon to avoid accidentally looking directly at it, which would be very dangerous to your eyes.
Mercury will be easier to spot later in June as it rises in the sky and illuminates. On June 24, the five planets will be joined by a crescent moon between Venus and Mars, creating an “extraordinary scene,” according to Dr. Samantha Rolfe, chief technical officer at the University of Hertfordshire Observatory. Because Mercury will be so dim as dawn rises, Rolf recommends using an app like Stellarium to find your position in the sky.
“You don’t need binoculars or a telescope if you don’t have them – just enjoy the view from where you can, even if you can’t see all five of your locations,” Rolf said. “This is a rare spectacle that can help us feel connected to nature and the world around us, and enjoying the night sky in general is a great exercise for well-being.
“Knowing that so many people are looking up at the same sky as our ancestors and our descendants did is something to be seen. Check the weather forecast for clear or even partially clear skies and set an alarm – it will be worth getting up. “
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