Guwahati: Five planets will align in the western horizon after sunset on Tuesday, creating a celestial spectacle that can be seen from Earth.
Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Uranus are the five planets that will be aligned. The spectacle will not be there for long with the planets Mercury and Jupiter vanishing in just half an hour, according to NASA astronomer Bill Cooke. So don’t pass up the opportunity to see the five planets.
Q Where do I have to look to find them?
A The group is most likely to be present on Tuesday. People will have to look to the western horizon right after sunset, said the NASA astronomer.The night sky’s planets will be visible from the horizon to about halfway up. But you can’t afford to be late if you don’t want to miss them all at once. Around 30 minutes after sunset, Mercury and Jupiter will quickly disappear below the horizon.As long as you have clear skies and a view of the west, you can see the cosmic spectacle from anywhere on Earth. NASA astronomer Bill Cooke said, “That’s the beauty of these planetary alignments. It doesn’t take much.”
Q Do I need to carry anything to watch the five planets?
A You may find it essential to carry binoculars. According to Cooke, Jupiter, Venus, and Mars will be easier to see because of their bright lights.Venus will be one of the brightest objects in the sky among these planets, and Mars will have a reddish glow. It can be observed near the moon. However, Mercury and Uranus will be the harder ones to spot as they are dimmer. For that, you may need to take a pair of binoculars along. This will be a rare opportunity for “planet collectors” to see Uranus, which is typically not visible, according to Cooke. You may want to look out for it’s greenish glow just above Venus.
Q If I were to miss this congregation of planets, how long will I have to wait for this to happen again?
A From time to time, different numbers and groups of planets line up in the sky. A five-planet lineup occurred last summer, and one similar to it will occur in June but with a slightly different lineup. Cooke noted that this kind of alignment happens when the orbits of the planets line up upon one side of the sun from the Earth’s perspective.