All planets in our solar system except Mercury and Earth will align in the sky next week in a spectacular 'planetary parade'. The alignment will be visible to the naked eye, with Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus forming a visible arc across the evening sky. Another parade is expected in February, with Mercury joining the alignment.
MARS , Jupiter , Uranus, Neptune, Saturn and Venus are set to align in the sky next week in a six-strong 'planetary parade'. All the planets in our solar system , except Mercury and Earth, will move into a large arc that just fits into your eye's field of view. That means we can just about see all planets without turning our head with Mars in the left corner of our eye and Saturn with Venus in the right, Dr Dan Brown, an astronomy expert here at Nottingham Trent University, told The Sun.
While the others will be joined by Uranus and Neptune, these two planets will not - and will never - be visible to the naked eye as they are too far away. The four visible planets, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus, will be strung across the evening sky on 18 January where you should be able to see them from 5pm to 9pm local time. Although, the 'best conditions' will be at 6pm, with Mars, Venus, and Saturn roughly 20 degrees above the horizon, according to Dr Brown. Mars, Venus and Jupiter will be the brightest objects in the entire sky, Dr Brown explained. In February, another planetary parade is expected to occur, where Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Mercury will be in an alignment visible to the naked eye. Dr Brown said: 'Mercury will join the group of visible planets in February and result on 24 February when it passes Saturn in a slightly closer line up of still 117 degrees.' While 117 degrees is not very close, it 'allows us to theoretically see all the planets in the sky at one time,' he added. Planets are constantly moving, which means their paths occasionally cross into an alignment in Earth's sky, as Dr Brown explains: So that from our perspective the planets are always very close to the apparent path of the Sun in the sky also known as the ecliptic. You could compare it with cars on a straight road
Planetary Alignment Astronomy Solar System Mars Venus Jupiter Saturn
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Belfast Astronomer Involved in Planetary Defence MissionProfessor Alan Fitzsimmons from Queen's University Belfast participated in the launch of the Hera mission, which aims to gather data on asteroid deflection techniques.
Read more »
Prepare for a Stellar Year: From Meteor Showers to Planetary AlignmentsGet ready for an incredible year of celestial events, including the Quadrantid meteor shower, a planetary parade, Saturn's disappearing rings, enhanced Northern Lights displays, and supermoons.
Read more »
Mercury Prize Winner Ordered To Pay £10,000 After Race Discrimination ClaimA Mercury Prize-winning rapper has been ordered to pay damages after suing Arts Council England for race discrimination over a reimbursement request for takeaways. The case, which was dismissed, led to significant legal costs being sought by the Arts Council.
Read more »
Mercury Retrograde Dates for 2025: Expect Communication HiccupsPsychic Inbaal Honigman reveals the 2025 Mercury Retrograde dates, noting that certain zodiac signs will be more affected than others. Honigman explains that Mercury Retrograde is a period when communication breakdowns are common, impacting everything from social media interactions to technology. While all signs experience some challenges, Gemini and Virgo, ruled by Mercury, will be particularly impacted.
Read more »
Prince George's Christmas Wish Reveals Royal Family's Down-to-Earth DesirePrince George's simple wish for a toy police car for Christmas highlights the commonalities between the royal family and ordinary people.
Read more »
The Earth's Corr: Carrot and stick both AWOL as NI finally gets carbon budgetsThe lack of repercussions for a government that routinely fails its own targets is deeply troubling given climate is an existential crisis
Read more »