GregRedd
New member
On 20 January, all five of the so-called bright planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – will appear in a line, visible to the naked eye.
If you're looking for the alignment from Earth (which we all would be doing) you'll technically be able to see 6 of the 8 planets at the same time. (Poor Pluto
)
The alignment of these five planets should be visible from Wednesday, January 20 to Saturday, February 20. And whilst a five bright planet alignment hasn't happened since 2005, Dr. Tanya Hill, senior curator at the Melbourne Planetarium, says that if you don't catch the alignment this month, you’ll be able to see it again in August of this year, and then again in October 2018.
In South Africa the alignment should be visible in the Eastern sky from around 90 - 120 minutes before sunrise. Mercury will appear very close to the horizon. Venus and Jupiter, however, should be fairly easy to spot and Mars’ distinctive red glow should give itself away. If you can find one of these planets, just hold up your arm so it’s in line with it and the Moon – the rest should fall vaguely in line with your arm.
Or, there's an app for that: 10 Free Stargazing Apps
If you're looking for the alignment from Earth (which we all would be doing) you'll technically be able to see 6 of the 8 planets at the same time. (Poor Pluto
)The alignment of these five planets should be visible from Wednesday, January 20 to Saturday, February 20. And whilst a five bright planet alignment hasn't happened since 2005, Dr. Tanya Hill, senior curator at the Melbourne Planetarium, says that if you don't catch the alignment this month, you’ll be able to see it again in August of this year, and then again in October 2018.
In South Africa the alignment should be visible in the Eastern sky from around 90 - 120 minutes before sunrise. Mercury will appear very close to the horizon. Venus and Jupiter, however, should be fairly easy to spot and Mars’ distinctive red glow should give itself away. If you can find one of these planets, just hold up your arm so it’s in line with it and the Moon – the rest should fall vaguely in line with your arm.
Or, there's an app for that: 10 Free Stargazing Apps
