Six Planets Now Aligned in the Dawn Sky

[Myriel RAouine]

Six Planets Now Aligned in the Dawn Sky

Geoff Gaherty, Starry Night Education,
Space.com geoff Gaherty, Starry Night Education,
space.com Thu Apr 28, 10:31 pm ET

 

If you get up any morning for the next few weeks, you’ll be treated to the sight of all the planets except Saturn arrayed along the ecliptic, the path of the sun through the sky.

For the last two months, almost all the planets have been hiding behind the sun, but this week they all emerge and are arrayed in a grand line above the rising sun. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter are visible, and you can add Uranus and Neptune to your count if you have binoculars or a small telescope.

This sky map of the six planets shows how they should appear at dawn to observers with clear weather and an unobstructed view.

Astrologers have always been fascinated by planetary alignments, and the doomsayers of 2012 have been prophesying a mystical alignment on Dec. 21, 2012.

The modern tools of astronomers, such as planetarium software, show otherwise: absolutely no alignment at any time in 2012. [Well, it seems to me the alignment won't be of plantary burt COSMIC importance - LOL! Sonja Myriel] But they also reveal a beautiful alignment visible during the month of May this year. [Planet Skywatching Guide for 2011]

Six planets at one time

While astrologers view planetary alignments as foretellers of disasters, modern amateur astronomers look forward to them as nothing more than grand photo ops.

If you go out any morning for the next four days, you’ll be treated to a view of the crescent moon and all but one of the naked eye planets.

Because the moon moves rapidly from one morning to the next, it will only be part of the lineup for the next four mornings, but the four naked-eye planets will be there for the next few weeks.

Venus is, as always, the brightest and most visible of the planets, and it can be your guide to spotting the others. About half way between Venus and the rising sun is Jupiter, the second brightest planet.

Mars will be a tiny speck just above Jupiter, and Mercury another tiny speck about half way between Jupiter and Venus. [According to the article below it is only visible inthe Sothern hemisphere! Sonja Myriel] Uranus is slightly more than one binocular field above and to the right of Venus, and Neptune is much farther to the right, about 40 degrees away in Aquarius. The Moon will be just above Venus on Saturday morning, and just above Jupiter and Mars on Sunday morning.

How to photograph the planets

Capturing a photograph of this gathering of the planets couldn’t be easier.

Just about any camera will do, though a camera with a telephoto lens setting will be better. Let the camera’s exposure meter be your guide, though a slight underexposure will help bring out the colors of the dawn sky. [Astrophotography Telescopes for Beginners]

Try to place the silhouette of some foreground object to lend depth to the scene. The best pictures will be on the next few mornings, while the crescent moon is part of the grouping.

This article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu.

• Cosmic Visions from Paranal Observatory
• 2011 Skywatching Guide: Planets in the Solar System
• More Night Sky Features from Starry Night Education

Article:

2011 Skywatching Guide: Planets in the Solar System

The planets of our solar system are at tomes some of the most rewarding and simplest skywatching targets to spot, if you know when and where to look. Here's a look at how to observe the planets of the solar system in 2011:

Tip: Astronomers measure distances in the sky in terms of degrees. For reference, your clenched fist held at arm's length covers about 10 degrees of the night sky. The brightness of a planet or other object in the sky is measured as its "magnitude." The lower an object's magnitude, the brighter it appears, so objects with negative signs in front of their magnitude numbers below are exceptionally bright.

Mercury

 

 

 

Mercury is often a difficult planet to find, but there are certain short periods each year when it can be seen with the naked eye with little effort, either just after sunset or before sunrise. [Infographic: Mercury, closest to the sun]

In 2011, Northern Hemisphere observers will two periods when Mercury can easily be located. During the second half of March, Mercury can be seen low in the west-northwest soon after sunset. During early September, Mercury can be seen low in the east-northeast Just before sunrise.

Southern Hemisphere observers will find Mercury well placed in the morning sky during early May, in the evening sky in late July, and in the evening sky in mid-November.

Date	Event	Degrees from Sun	Magnitude	N. Hemisphere	S. Hemisphere	Visibility
January 9	Greatest Elongation West	23	–0.3	Poor	Good	Morning
February 25	Superior Conjunction
March 23	Greatest Elongation East	19	–0.2	Excellent	Poor	Evening
April 9	Inferior Conjunction
May 7	Greatest Elongation West	27	+0.4	Poor	Excellent	Morning
June 13	Superior Conjunction
July 20	Greatest Elongation East	27	+0.3	Fair	Excellent	Evening
August 17	Inferior Conjunction
September 3	Greatest Elongation West	18	–0.2	Excellent	Poor	Morning
September 28	Superior Conjunction
November 14	Greatest Elongation East	23	–0.3	Poor	Excellent	Evening
December 4	Inferior Conjunction
December 23	Greatest Elongation West	22	–0.4	Good	Good	Morning

Venus

2011 is not a very good year for observing Venus. It spends most of its time in the morning sky or on the far side of the sun. [Infographic: Venus unveiled]

Date	Event	Magnitude
January 8	Greatest Elongation West	–4.3
August 16	Superior Conjunction	–3.8

Mars

2011 is also a poor year for observing Mars. It spends most of the year on the far side of the sun, and only begins to get large enough to see any detail on it in the last few weeks of the year. [Infographic: Mars, the Red Planet]

Date	Event	Magnitude
February 4	Conjunction	+1.1

Jupiter

Jupiter spends the first part of the year in the constellation Pisces, except for a brief incursion into the constellation Cetus from February 24 to March 8. [Infographic: Jupiter, largest planet in the solar system]

Let the astrologers make of that what they will. It moves into Aries on June 6. It moves back into Pisces on Dec. 3. It is best viewed in the morning sky from July until the Oct. 29 opposition, when it moves into the evening sky for the rest of the year. The angular diameter at opposition will be 49.6 arcseconds. Binoculars will show the four largest satellites. A small telescope will show one or two cloud bands across the visible surface of the planet.

Date	Event	Magnitude
April 6	Conjunction	–2.1
Oct. 29	Opposition	–2.9

Saturn

Saturn will spend all of the year in Virgo. Saturn can be viewed in the morning sky until April 4, when it moves into the evening sky. [Infographic: Saturn and its many rings]

From September to November it will be behind the sun, reappearing in December in the morning sky. The rings will gradually be opening over the year, making them easy to see in any telescope magnifying more than about 30x.

Saturn’s largest moon Titan is readily visible in a small telescope, and several more moons may be seen in larger telescopes. At opposition, the planet’s angular diameter will be 19.3 arc seconds.

Date	Event	Magnitude
April 4	Opposition	0.4
Oct. 13	Conjunction	0.7

Uranus

Uranus spends all of 2011 in the southwestern part of Pisces. It is best viewed in fall. It is in opposition on September 26, when it moves from the morning sky into the evening sky. Although it may be seen with the naked eye in a very dark sky, usually binoculars will be required to make it out. Its angular diameter is less than 4 arcseconds. [Infographic: Uranus]

Date	Event	Magnitude
March 21	Conjunction	5.9
Sept. 26	Opposition	5.7

Neptune

Neptune starts out 2011 in Capricornus, but on Jan. 23 it moves into Aquarius for the rest of the year. It is best viewed during the late summer and early fall. It is in opposition on Aug. 22, when it moves from the morning sky into the evening sky. Binoculars or a small telescope will be required to see it. The angular diameter is about 2 arcseconds. [Infographic: Neptune Revealed]

Date	Event	Magnitude
Feb. 17	Conjunction	8.0
Aug. 22	Opposition	7.8

Source: RASC Observer’s Handbook 2011 and Starry Night Software

This 2011 Planets Skywatching Guide is provided by Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions.

 

[Vicente N. Carranza]

Sonja, Hi and good Sunday Morning to you and yours.  Lady, you do lot of good work and I bet this website keeps you busy.  I have a question and just wondering.  And you are in your right not to response.  This info on the six planets comes from two source that think that people that believe in Astrology and all relative subjects are crazy or fruit cakes.   NASA  and  ASTRONOMERS.   This two group have done lots of damage to a positive evolution of human being.  They have hide lots of information that we should know.  They hide it because if their is any power or money to be had they want it all.   This info is good to know if it's just info but lots of beginners don't know the different.

[Myriel RAouine]

Yes, thank you for you explanation :-)

 

I value the INFORMATION - not the sites - LOL!

 

A Violet Ray hug through time and space to you, dear Vicente,

 

Sonja Myriel