Amateur astronomers are gearing up for a celestial delight starting Friday as the five planets visible to the naked eye line up in order of their distance from the sun across the sky before dawn.
For those who can face the early start and have an unobstructed view of the horizon to the east and southeast, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn may be visible before the faintest, Mercury, fade in the sunrise glow.
It is not uncommon to see two or three planets together, but the five that can be seen with the naked eye do not appear in order, seen from the northern hemisphere, since December 2004.
“That’s really cool,” said Professor Beth Biller, personal president of exoplanet characterization at the University of Edinburgh’s Institute of Astronomy. “We now know of many other stars that host several planets. This is a rare opportunity to see the same thing closer to home, with the five ‘naked’ planets of our solar system visible at the same time.”
Planet chart
The planets of the solar system orbit the sun in a remarkably narrow plane, which means that when viewed from Earth, they appear to be close to an imaginary line in the sky called the ecliptic. The five planets will rise above the horizon in the early hours of Friday, although it may be difficult to see them all until the end of the month.
Dr. Greg Brown, the public astronomy officer at the Royal Museums Greenwich, said Venus and Jupiter would be the easiest to see, with Venus above the horizon from 4 a.m. Kingdom time. United, and Mars and Jupiter visible from 2.45am.
Saturn rises above the horizon around 1.30 in the morning, but how Mars will be difficult to see at dusk. Mercury will be the hardest to observe, as it only rises around 4.30am, when it will be difficult to see in the light before dawn, and will stay close to the horizon.
“Your only chance to see the five planets at once is during a very narrow window after Mercury has come out, but before the sun does,” Brown said.
“Binoculars or a telescope may be enough to get through the twilight in the case of the faintest planets, but be very careful when trying to observe Mercury especially this way. Make sure the sun is below the horizon to avoid accidentally looking at it directly, which would be very dangerous for your eyes. “
Mercury will be easier to detect in late June as it rises into the sky and lights up. On June 24, the five planets will be joined by a crescent moon between Venus and Mars, which will be an “extraordinary scene,” according to Dr. Samantha Rolfe, chief technical officer at the University of Hertfordshire Observatory. Because Mercury will be as faint as dawn, Rolfe recommends using an app like Stellarium to find its position in the sky.
“You don’t need binoculars or telescopes if you don’t have them; just enjoy the view from wherever possible, even if you can’t see them from your location,” Rolfe said. “This is a rare spectacle that can help us feel connected to nature and the world around us, and enjoying the night sky in general is a great exercise in well-being.
“Knowing that so many people are looking at the same sky, as our ancestors did, and our descendants will, is something to look at. Check the weather forecast to see if there are clear or even partially clear skies and put an alarm: it will be worth getting up. “