Rare planetary conjunction: five solar system planets line up in ‘special’ order

by Jun 27, 2022Science0 comments

The conjunction was brightest Friday morning, but will remain visible through Monday from most parts of the world, IANS reported.

New York: Five major planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, in our solar system are lined up in a row for rare planetary conjunction visible to the naked eye. In a clear sky, the planets can be seen shining brightly before dawn. It’s a special opportunity to see Mercury, which is usually hidden from view by the bright light of the Sun, the BBC reported Friday.

The conjunction was brightest Friday morning but will remain visible until Monday from most parts of the world.

The last time this conjunction occurred was in 2004 and will not be seen again until 2040, according to the report.

The planets appear “like a string of pearls stretching out from near the horizon,” explains space scientist and chief stargazer for the Society for Popular Astronomy, Professor Lucie Green.

It’s also a special event because the planets appear in the order in which they are positioned from the sun.

That’s not always the case with planetary conjunctions because of our perspective from Earth looking out into the solar system, says Professor Green.

On Friday, a crescent Moon also joined the alignment, appearing between Venus and Mars.

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