It hasn’t happened since 2004!

For several weeks, it is necessary to get up early to attend the conjunction of planets and other celestial sights such asLunar eclipse and the Storm star meteor Tau Hercules (Last Monday)!

Now, a week later Via Mars Jupiter At dawn in a corner of the sky, five planets of the solar system together appear eastward, at the end of the night. Five planets fully visible toeye Naked, including extremely bright Jupiter And the Venus. Certainly, this isn’t the first time this year that we can like them collected at the same timebut what is new – if one may say so – for the coming weeks is that they are presented in true order of distance with Sunwhich has not happened – from the perspective of the Earth – since … December 2004.

Mercury, currently the closest planet to Earth

So when you put a file the nose Outside after 4 am, do you see yourself lined up on the imaginary line ofecliptic (planetary orbits plane) in order from lowest on the horizon to highest: Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Mercury Also, but this Friday, June 3, it will arrive just before sunrise, so it will still be very low, very hard to discern in the glowing flash of dawn. It will be much better next week with it rising.

in parentheses, because we’re talking about Mercurynote that more small planet The Solar System – also closest to the Sun – is currently closest to Earth. It is not Venus or Mars, but Mercury (only 92 million km) that separates us from it today, as opposed to 184.6 million for Venus and 216 million for Mars, our usual neighbors. Of course, this is constantly changing, to the rhythm of each one’s revolutions.

Of the five visible planets, Saturn was the first to appear, around 2 a.m. Followed by Jupiter and Mars, above the east, an hour and a half later.

A Gift From Heaven: Five Planets Align In 2018

Article from Xavier Demersmann Posted on October 17, 2018

What is surprising in the sky of this beginningFall, very soft. As soon as the sun goes down, you can watch the appearance of the brightest of the five planets. But they don’t just have to see…

This summer, especially in JulyAlmost all of the planets in the solar system, with the exception of Earth of course, were visible during the night. Some are without tools and some are with the help of binoculars or telescopes. there was even comet which flirts with the limits of vision with the naked eye)C/2017 S3 Panstarrs) and famous asteroid (vista)…

Three months later, all the planets united again at night. You can easily see the five brightest as soon as the sun leaves, when the sky is filled with stars. Venus And Mercury first, in first light dusk. However, this is the maximum because both are very low on the horizon and therefore disappear very quickly. Also, to have a better chance of observing it, it is necessary to prefer sites with a very clear western horizon.

The moon calls itself in the middle of the corresponding planets

A little higher in the sky, you’ll notice Jupiter “shining” above the southwest horizon. The giant planet is one of the stars The brightest evening with the moon of course and Mars. The Moon, specifically, imposes itself in the middle of the planetary alignment. On the evening of October 17, it can be seen radiating between Saturn and Mars. Tomorrow evening, faithful to its trajectory and also a little “bigger” than it was in the first quarter, it calls itself right next to the red planet. Watch how the latter continues to shine strongly. Admittedly, it’s not quite as much in the middle of summer, but its blazing glow still cuts through the night.

Neptune is also there, in the far east, in Aquarius. But to distinguish them, it is better to arm yourself with binoculars or, of course, either a telescope or a telescope. same for Uranus, another distant planet, slips out of the horizon these days when others are drowning in it. We add that too Plutoconsidered a dwarf planetIs there, too, dimly shining between Saturn and Mars.

Comets to watch in the autumn sky

Finally, remember that Comet 21P / Giacobini-Zinner Continue her heavenly journey. It is now in dazzling surroundings Siriusin the Great dog. A word of advice: To wish you could see it (in a musical instrument), wait until the end of the night until it’s high enough in the sky.

Also not to be missed, especially over the next few weeks: 46P / Wirtanen. She was declared “the guilty of the year”. Nothing less! On December 16th, Wirtanen will be the tenth comet to approach Earth since the 1950s, at which time many specialists believe it will be visible to the naked eye. For now, you still travel discreetly in the depths of the autumn night, within constellation the oven. Nice sight in perspective.

Beautiful planetary alignment to watch until February 20

Article by Xavier Demeersman published on January 21, 2016

Note all the curious, especially those who get up early: the five brightest planets appear together at the end of the night for a month, between January 20 and February 20, 2016. There is no need for a musical instrument to be able to admire this rather rare planetary alignment. On certain dates, the waning moon will shine next to them.

ASTROMorb; star planetswandering stars. The word planet is derived from PlanastayTo wander here and there, to get off the track . booksastrophysicist Daniel Kunth in his book words from heaven (CNRS Edition). In the terrestrial sky we know a handful of such wandering stars which, as our ancestors noted thousands of years ago (in Babylon, in China and perhaps elsewhere and before that…), are distinguished from the so-called “fixed” articulating stars. in constellationthrough their movement. At least, with the naked eye, their movements are noticeable, for several cases, from week to week. It’s one way to make a difference with others light fixtures. We now know that these bright spots have a nature physical They differ from the distant stars (the planets are daughters of the stars, “children of the Sun”) and that they all follow the path of the ecliptic, through the twelve and even thirteen constellations of Horoscope (Aficus is the thirteenth), because of their orbits around the Sun.

On the eight planets of the solar system (and perhaps the new According to the latest news), five can be observed without an instrument: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn (as a reminder, they are associated with five of the seven days of the week). About Uranus and NeptuneTheir vast distances from the ground have always prevented them from being distinguished by the naked eye.

A very rare circumstance: At the end of the night, between January 20 and February 20, 2016, five of these roving stars can be seen together. Indeed, as soon as Mercury rises (this can be found near the southeast horizon), approximately one hour before the sun rushes with its first rays of sun, we can admire with our eyes only all these planets aligned in the celestial vault, between southeast, west and southwest .

The arrival times of the planets in alignment

Of course, to make the most of this relatively rare spectacle (the last time this happened was between December 15, 2004 and January 15, 2005), it’s best to distance yourself from light pollution Because it damages the brightness of the stars, a machine, if you have one, is drawn to each of these stars. With a simple pair of binoculars, for example, you can distinguish the phases of shimmering Venus, or the four satellites of Jupiter (discover them Galileo).

The latter is the one who opens the ball. At the moment, the giant planet appears from the eastern horizon a little before 10 pm (French capital time), which gives a view of a number ofAstronomy scientists Lovers who brave the cold of winter in its streak-like tropical stripes, Crossing for him red spot And of course the dancing of his moons (which can be seen with binoculars). Four hours later, just before two in the morning, Mars Red joins her. Then it’s Saturn’s turn to enter the scene, around 4:45 a.m., followed by Venus about an hour later (about 6 a.m.). Finally, when Mercury appears in the light of dawn, the five heroes are reunited.

Note that the waning moon will rotate next to these planets until February 6th. It first appears with Jupiter on January 27 and 28, then on January 30 it passes spica (Brightest star in Virgo), on February 1, it appears in the last quarter next to Mars, and two nights later, on February 3, it shines near Saturn. Finally, a beautiful and dazzling lunar crescent will appear at dawn, close to Venus and Mercury on February 5 and 6. Let us add that the most enlightened will undoubtedly make use of it to attempt to observe a small body of the Solar System: Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina). Almost visible to the naked eye at the beginning of this new year due to its activity, the star continues its journey towards the limits of the solar system through the polar constellations in giraffe It’s a little bear.

And to get back to that meeting of the five planets that happens at the end of the night, you need to know that for reasons weather report Unavailability, you can not admire them, it will be possible to catch you this summer with a new alignment of five planets, this time at the beginning of the night, between August 13 and 19. At the same time, many curious people will be watching the last snapshots ofannual rainshooting stars subordinate Perseids.

Remember that for those who don’t already have it, you can simulate the sky and a movement Planets on your the computer (Mac OS, Windows, or linux) with the software Free stellarium. Just as through many apps for smart phones (iOS And the robot), which we introduced a Selection Last summer.