This week, seven planets will be momentarily visible in the evening sky: Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, and Saturn. Skywatchers are in for a treat.
The ‘planetary parade’ is a unique sight that will be the last time seven planets can be viewed so clearly at once until 2040.
On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, right after sunset is the optimum time to observe as many planets as you can.
Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars are the four planets that will be visible to the unaided eye. Saturn will be low in the horizon, making it more difficult to observe. To see Uranus and Neptune, the other two planets, you will need a telescope.
Clear sky and a decent view of the horizon will give you the best chance of seeing them all. But there won’t be much time to see all seven planets.
At the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, astronomer Dr. Edward Bloomer stated: “There’s a rare opportunity to have seven planets in essentially a convenient place for you to look for them.”
Saturn and Mercury will be especially hard to spot as the sun sets since they will also be setting.
“There’s really only a little window of time after sunset to see them before they go. You’ll be able to view Mars, Jupiter, and Venus plainly for a lot longer after that,” Dr. Bloomer continued.
About the same flat plane as the Earth, the planets in our solar system orbit the Sun.
Even though the planets are still separated by great distances in space, there are times when they seem to line up from Earth’s perspective as they revolve at varying speeds and distances from the Sun, producing a breathtaking visual show.
Mars will have a pronounced reddish tint, while Venus and Jupiter will be the brightest and easiest to see.
Even though this is a fantastic chance, Dr. Bloomer advises people to develop the habit of looking up at the night sky.
