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The fascinating lineup of planets happens when their orbits align around the sun, explained Heidi Haviland, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
According to NASA, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter will be visible without any special equipment, while Uranus and Neptune will need binoculars or a telescope to be seen.
Unlike solar eclipses, this celestial event doesn’t require protective eyewear for safe viewing.
People worldwide can enjoy this spectacle, but the ideal time to catch it is during twilight. Early risers should look skyward before dawn, while those who stay up late will have the best chance to see it just after sunset, Haviland mentioned.
Viewing times can differ based on your location, she noted in an email. For the planets to be visible, they must be about 10 degrees or more above the horizon; otherwise, the Earth’s atmosphere may obscure them, she added.
The planetary parade is a reminder of how planets orbit around the sun and how their positions relative to Earth vary — a key factor scientists consider when planning missions to other planets such as Mars, Haviland noted.
“The InSight mission had to wait a full year for the Earth & Mars to align to their closet approach so planetary orbits and their position to the Earth play an important role in mission design,” she said, referring to the NASA program that sent a robotic lander to Mars in 2018.
How to tell the planets apart
Haviland shared a few tips for identifying the planets during the upcoming display.
“Typically, Venus is the first one that pops up,” Haviland said, adding that it will be the brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon, and will have a steady, brilliant white glow on the western horizon after sunset.
Mars will show up as a red dot, and Saturn will have a yellowish hue. If you look high overhead, you will be able to find Jupiter.
Mercury will be the hardest to spot without visual aids, but your best chance to see it is about 30 to 60 minutes after local sunset, Haviland said. The smallest planet in our solar system will appear white and will be low on the horizon.
For the best view, avoid city lights and hope for clear skies, said Joel Wallace, public information officer at the Marshall Space Flight Centre.
Upcoming celestial events
On Tuesday, a total lunar eclipse will be visible for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands and the Americas.
The moon will appear red, which is why it’s referred to as a blood moon. The event marks the last total lunar eclipse visible from North America until December 2028.
On May 31, sky-gazers can look forward to a blue moon, the second full moon in one calendar month. Despite its name, the moon will not appear blue in colour. It happens every two-and-a-half to three years, or “once in a blue moon”.
On June 8 and 9, two bright planets — Venus and Jupiter — will appear in the sky only a pinky finger distance apart from our perspective on Earth despite being millions of miles from one another.
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