‘We’re very fortunate’: stargazers to see almost all planets aligned in the night sky at the same time | Astronomy

The resulting stars are treated to a rare planetary alignment this month, also known as a “Planet Parade,” with most of the planets visible in the night sky at the same time.

Astrophysicist Dr Rebecca Allen, associate director of Swinburne University’s Institute of Space Technology and Industry, said it would be a rare opportunity to see many planets aligned, especially exoplanets like Neptune.

Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus will be most visible, especially around January 21, although the stars may also spot Neptune and Uranus above the horizon with the help of binoculars or a good telescope.

“They happen to everyone in their orbits on the same side of our sun, at the same degrees in our sky, so we can see them,” she said. This is a special matter.

“Really it’s about perspective. All of these planets are wide distances from us and from each other.”

Planets closer to the sun, such as Venus — a rocky, Earth-sized body — will be brighter and easier to see, she said. The planet, called the “morning star” or “evening star,” goes through the phases in a similar way to the Moon and will be interesting to watch over a series of weeks.

She said Venus and Saturn had a “conjunction” in January, meaning they will appear closer together in the night sky. Through the telescope, the stars were able to see Saturn’s rings, and a “edge” appeared like a splinter.

Mars and its features will be particularly evident, Allen said. The sun is in opposition, she said, meaning “you’re looking at Mars, and the sun is behind you.”

Jupiter – the fifth planet, and the largest – will appear near Orion, a constellation known to many Australians as ‘Destiny’. She said that through the telescope, it was possible to make out the clouds on the surface of Jupiter and some of its moons.

Con Stoitsis, of the Astronomical Society of Victoria, said four of the planets were “like lighthouses” that could easily be seen at about 9.45pm on a clear night with a view to the horizon. “You can’t miss it,” he said.

Facing north, Venus and Saturn will be to the left, Jupiter to the right, followed by Mars in “Red Red” a few hours later, he said.

In addition to the planet’s parade, Stoitsis said it was a good time to hold satellites, which looked like bright stars that moved.

“It’s pretty busy up there. If you want to sit under the stars and have a deck chair, I’d say within an hour you’ll probably see half a dozen satellites.”

Enthusiasts are currently monitoring the comet known as C/2024 G3 (Atlas), which recently survived an encounter with the Sun, said Stoitsis, the Comet Society and director of the meteorite.

He said comets are like cats: “They got tails and behaved the way they wanted.” It was also not expected, and this will either be very bright and visible around January 18, or it may be.

The best view of the planet’s parade will be around Jan. 21 when the moon is waning, Allen said. She said a basic sky map was useful, with many phone apps now available. Local astrological societies and astrologers also often have more information or hold special events.

“We are so lucky, all of us on Earth, that we will see this alignment occur in some of the most popular and easy-to-see summer constellations… Orion, Gemini and Norus,” she said.

“It’s school holidays. Get the kids out. It’s an opportunity where you can actually use binoculars and see pretty much all the planets this month.”