A rare parade of planets in January: how and when to see this unique phenomenon
11 January 02:48
on January 21, six planets will appear simultaneously in the sky in a great parade: Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn. This is reported by ScienceAlert, Komersant ukrainskyi informs
In fact, it is not uncommon for several planets to be on the same side of the Sun at the same time, but it is much less common for most or even all planets to be aligned.
“Any number of planets from three to eight form an alignment. If the planets are aligned in five or six, it is called a major alignment, with five-planet alignments occurring much more frequently than six. The great alignments of seven planets are, of course, the rarest,” the scientists note.
How to watch the parade of planets in January
There are tools that can help you find out the exact time and location of the planets in the sky.
The Time and Date website has an interactive tool that allows you to choose the date for observation, shows the time of sunrise and sunset of each planet, as well as their location in the sky and the level of visibility.
A similar tool is offered by the Stellarium web service, which displays the positions of all planets in real time.
The free mobile app Sky Tonight uses your phone’s hardware to determine your location and shows the current positions of celestial objects on the map above you. You can also find other useful apps.
To observe the planets, you will also need binoculars or a telescope. You also need clear skies.
