The five major planets in our solar system have lined up in a rare formation that sky observers can see with their own eyes.
Astronomers say the formation is expected to remain in the sky for the rest of June. The planets involved are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They are the brightest planets in the solar system.
Seeing two or three major planets close to each other can be a common sight. But the American Astronomical Society said in a statement that seeing them together is rare. The last time such a planet was formed was in December 2004.
Society said the best time to see the five planets is shortly before the sun rises. “They will stretch across the sky from bottom to east to higher to the south,” the statement says.
Some astronomers call the event a “parade of planets.”
A map published by the Astronomical Society’s Sky & Telescope magazine shows the planets appearing from left to right in this order: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Mercury will appear at the lowest point on the horizon.
This graphic image shows the positions of the five major planets in our solar system. The planets line up in a rare formation that is expected to be visible in the sky for the rest of June. (Image credit: Stellarium, with graphic additions by Bob King)
People in the northern hemisphere should look to the east-southeast horizon, while those in the southern hemisphere should look to the east-northeast horizon.
The planets should be visible without special equipment such as a telescope. But binoculars will come in handy. Cloudy weather will also affect visibility, so astronomers suggest some planning for the best experience.
“If it’s cloudy on note dates, you still have every morning in between to contemplate the five naked-eye planets that adorn the southeastern horizon,” the company said. “Just make sure you set the alarm and wake up on time.”
Mercury is the hardest to see because it is closer to the sun’s glow. But the other planets should be easy to see, even without the use of binoculars, for a few more days.
On June 19, NASA’s American Space Agency tweeted about the start of the unusual line of planets. “Look up from tonight to see Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn stretched out and seem aligned in the sky.” NASA noted that on June 23, sky observers received special treatment, when the “crescent moon” joined the formation.
A “crescent” describes the shape of the moon as it appears at the beginning of the first quarter or at the end of its last quarter. During this period, only a small edge of the moon is visible and illuminated by the sun.
When June ends, the planet’s parade will come to an end. Astronomers predict that the next opportunity to see the formation of five planets will be in March 2041.
NASA says June is also a good time for the most serious sky observers to observe one of the best-known “globular star clusters.” These “clusters”, or groups, are spherical collections of stars gathered in their centers. They can include tens of thousands or millions of stars. They orbit around the centers of many galaxies.
The most observable is currently called M13, also known as the Hercules Cluster. But the space agency points out that binoculars or a telescope will be needed to see it. “Find M13 in the constellation of Hercules, which is high in the east during the first hours after the June darkness,” NASA advises.
This image, captured by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, shows the constellation M13, or Hercules, located 25,000 light-years from Earth. Image credits: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage team)
A constellation is a group of stars that form a shape in the sky and has been given a name and has a story behind it.
M13 stars are believed to be about 12 billion years old. This is almost as old as the universe itself, NASA points out.
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. to be able to be seen
binoculars – n. a pair of tubes with glass lenses at the ends that you look at to see distant things
the naked eye – n. if something can be seen with the naked eye, it can be seen without the help of special equipment
adorn – v. add something decorative to a person or thing
resplendor – v. produce continuous light and sometimes heat
spherical – adj. something round, like a ball
galaxy – n. one of the independent groups of stars in the universe