The alignment between Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn could be seen more easily the last few nights.
the astronomer Leandro Guedes explains that the stars are always aligned, but what is happening right now is that they are closer in the sky and appear at the same time, so that the phenomenon can be seen with the naked eye.
What already yields a beautiful view becomes more interesting this weekend, when the Moon joins the five planets. Earth’s satellite can be seen right between Venus and Mars.
“We can recommend astrophotographers to charge their camera batteries because it is going to be a very interesting event. It’s a beautiful opportunity to see several planets in the sky and even with the participation of a little bit of the moon”, says Guedes, who is an astronomer at the Planetarium in Rio de Janeiro.
According to him, a configuration similar to this one, with so many planets nearby in the night sky, happened for the last time in 2004. At that time, it was possible to observe Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, so that this year’s alignment is richer, including Uranus and Neptune, which can be seen with the help of a telescope.
Guedes points out that the fact that the stars are closer is just a perception of those looking from the Earth and not a physical proximity between them. The best time to observe the event is about 1 to 1:30 am before dawn.
The astronomer at the Planetarium in Rio also says that the event should happen again in August, at a time of easier observation, in the early evening. On that occasion, the Planetarium of Rio de Janeiro will be open to visitors interested in observing.
“Now it is necessary to see before sunrise, but in August it will be a better time for people to be able to see. And there’s a detail, when the alignment is more visible in this period, we will be close to the so-called opposition of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus, which is when they are diametrically opposite the Sun. With that, they get much brighter, that is, it is the best period for observation”, says the astronomer.
*Under supervision of Pauline Almeida.
Source: CNN Brasil
