On these days of June it is possible to enjoy a wonderful view of nature with the naked eye: Planetary alignment that allows you to see almost all the planets of the solar system simultaneously. It is an unusual phenomenon that can be observed from anywhere in Spain for several days and until the beginning of July. Of course: it will be necessary to get up early, because the time when this phenomenon occurs is shortly before sunrise.
Five are the planets we can see as of this week. Starting from the horizon and high, the following are, in order: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and SaturnAccording to the Royal Astronomical Observatory of Madrid. Well, five planets in sight (six if we include our own planet)so in this ‘family photo’ only Uranus and Neptune would be missing, too far away to be seen with the naked eye.
While it is relatively common for two or three of these planets to overlap in the sky at the same time, it is not so common for five to be absent. Actually, It has not been seen since 2004 and will not be seen again until 2040.According to NASA. The space agency states that the alignment of the five planets occurs on average only once every 57 years.
More, At the end of the month, the Moon will also be includedso it’s really worth getting up a little early to observe the phenomenon.
The most difficult planet to see is Mercury, and there are several reasons for this: its small size, distance, and especially its great proximity to the Sun, which makes it difficult to see clearly due to solar glare. In fact, once the king star appears on the horizon, Mercury is no longer visible.
A planetary alignment occurs when several planets are seen in the same plane forming a straight or nearly straight line, as here from our terrestrial point of view. This does not mean that if we observe them from space, outside of Earth, they will appear in a straight line.
When to observe the alignment?
While you can make use of these days now, the best times to do so would be the last ten days of June and the first days of July. Note that as soon as the sun rises, its light will ‘erase’ the planets, so you should start your observing an hour before sunrise.
Where to watch?
Because some planets, such as Mercury and Venus, appear very low on the horizon (because they are closest to the Sun and always close to it), you need to be positioned either on the coast, with the sea ahead. or in a high place with no mountain ranges or significant elevations in sight. You should look east and southeast.
What should you wear to observe this?
Since the five visible planets are visible to the naked eye, you do not need to bring any instruments to see the alignment. Now, with a medium aperture telescope (200 mm), Uranus and Neptune can also be seen too far away to be seen with the naked eye.
Is there an app or website where you can see a simulation?
The free Stellarium program is a real miracle to see what’s going on in the sky at any time of the year. Just download it to your PC or mobile phone. On the computer, after downloading, we must choose our location from the relevant menu so that the program ‘knows’ from where it is being observed.
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Source: Informacion
