The five major planets of our solar system have lined up in a rare formation that skygazers can see with their own eyes.
Astronomers say the formation is expected to remain in the sky until late June. The planets involved are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They are the brightest planets in the solar system.
Seeing two or three large planets close together can be a common sight. But the American Astronomical Society said in a statement that seeing all five together is rare. The last time such planet formation occurred was in December 2004.
The society said the best time to observe the five planets is just before sunrise. They will “stretch across the sky from deep in the east to higher in the south,” the statement said.
Some astronomers call the event a “planet parade.”
A map published by the Astronomical Society Sky & Telescope Magazine shows the planets in this order from left to right – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Mercury will appear at the lowest point on the planet horizon.
People in the northern hemisphere should face towards the east-southeast horizon, while people in the southern hemisphere should face towards the east-northeast horizon.
The planets should be visible without special equipment such as a telescope. but binoculars will be helpful. Cloudy weather will also affect visibility, so astronomers suggest planning something to get the best experience.
“If it’s cloudy on the important dates, you still have all the mornings in between to enjoy the view of the five naked–Eye planets decorate the southeastern horizon,” the company said. “Just make sure you set your alarm and get up on time.”
Mercury is the most difficult to see because it is closer to the Sun glow from the sun. But the other planets should still be visible for a few days without binoculars.
On June 19, the American space agency NASA tweeted about the start of the unusual planetary alignment. “Starting tonight, look up to see Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn spread out and appear to line up across the sky.” NASA noted that skygazers got a special treat on June 23 when the “Crescent Moon ‘ was included in the list.
A “sickle” describes the shape of the moon as it appears early in the first quarter or late in the last quarter. During this time only a small edge of the moon is visible and is illuminated by the sun.
When June ends, the Planetary Parade will come to an end. Astronomers predict the next chance to see the five planet formation will be in March 2041.
According to NASA, June is also a good time for more serious skygazers to observe one of the most well-known “globular clusters.” These are “clusters” or groups spherical Clusters of stars gathered tightly at their centers. They can contain tens of thousands to millions of stars. They encircle the centers of many galaxies.
The currently most observable one is called M13, also known as the Hercules Cluster. However, the space agency points out that binoculars or a telescope are required to see it. “Find M13 in the constellation of Hercules, pointing high in the east during the first few hours after dark in June,” advises NASA.
A constellation is a group of stars that forms a shape in the sky and has a name and story behind it.
The stars in M13 are estimated to be around 12 billion years old. That’s almost as old as the universe itself, NASA notes.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English based on reports from the American Astronomical Society, Sky & Telescope and NASA.
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words in this story
horizon – n. where the sky seems to touch the land or the sea
visible – adj. able to be seen
binoculars – n. a pair of tubes with glass lenses at the ends that you look through to see things far away
the naked eye – n. If something can be seen with the naked eye, it can be seen without the help of special equipment
decorate – v. to add something decorative to a person or thing
glow – v. to produce a continuous light and sometimes heat
spherical – adj. something with a round shape, like a sphere
galaxy – n. one of the independent groups of stars in the universe