View larger. Relative sizes of the four inner planets: Earth, Venus (back row); Mars and Mercury (front row).
An EarthSky reader asked us:
When will all five visible planets be seen simultaneously?
The last time that all five visible planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) appeared in the same sky together was over 10 years ago, from December 15, 2004, to January 15, 2005. The next presentation will again happen for a period of about one month, starting on or near January 20, 2016.
All five visible planets will appear above the horizon simultaneously in the predawn/dawn sky from about January 20 to February 20, 2016. Moreover, people around the globe can use the moon to help guide them to this showcase of planets from January 27 to February 6. The charts below are for mid-northern North American latitudes, although these planets can be seen in the morning sky from around the world.
By visible planet, we are referring to any solar system planet that is easily viewed without an optical aid and that has been watched by our ancestors since time immemorial. In their outward order from the sun, the five visible planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These planets are visible in our sky because their disks reflect sunlight, and these relatively nearby worlds tend to shine with a steadier light than the distant, twinkling stars.
The charts below show the moon’s position on the sky’s dome relative to these five visible planets from January 27 to February 6:
View larger. | For illustrative purposes, the moon appears larger than it does in the real sky. Mid-northern latitudes in Europe and Asia see the planets similarly positioned, yet see the moon somewhat offset toward the previous date. The green line on the above chart depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the Zodiac.
View larger. For illustrative purposes, the moon appears larger than it does in the real sky. Mid-northern latitudes in Europe and Asia will see the moon somewhat offset toward the previous date. The green line on the above chart depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the Zodiac.
Of course, you can catch most of these planets before dawn. Jupiter rises first, in the evening hours, followed by Mars after midnight and then Saturn, Venus and Mercury. Click here to find when each planet rises into your sky for any given date.
May you be blessed with clear skies for the upcoming planetary spectacle, with all five visible planets taking stage in the same sky from January 20 to February 20, 2016!
Relative distances of the planets in astronomical units (sun-Earth distance):
Distances from the sun of planets in our solar system, expressed in A.U. Graph via planetsforkids.org
Mean distance in astronomical units (AU) from sun to each planet.
Mercury: 0.387 AU
Venus: 0.723 AU
Earth: 1.000 AU
Mars: 1.524 AU
Jupiter: 5.203 AU
Saturn: 9.529 AU
Uranus: 19.19 AU
Neptune: 30.06 AU
If you want to find out the distances of the solar system planets from the Earth and sun right now, click here.
Bottom line: All five visible planets will appear together in the morning sky early next year – from about January 20 to February 20, 2016. That hasn’t happened since 2005.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1GLrzQP
View larger. Relative sizes of the four inner planets: Earth, Venus (back row); Mars and Mercury (front row).
An EarthSky reader asked us:
When will all five visible planets be seen simultaneously?
The last time that all five visible planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) appeared in the same sky together was over 10 years ago, from December 15, 2004, to January 15, 2005. The next presentation will again happen for a period of about one month, starting on or near January 20, 2016.
All five visible planets will appear above the horizon simultaneously in the predawn/dawn sky from about January 20 to February 20, 2016. Moreover, people around the globe can use the moon to help guide them to this showcase of planets from January 27 to February 6. The charts below are for mid-northern North American latitudes, although these planets can be seen in the morning sky from around the world.
By visible planet, we are referring to any solar system planet that is easily viewed without an optical aid and that has been watched by our ancestors since time immemorial. In their outward order from the sun, the five visible planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These planets are visible in our sky because their disks reflect sunlight, and these relatively nearby worlds tend to shine with a steadier light than the distant, twinkling stars.
The charts below show the moon’s position on the sky’s dome relative to these five visible planets from January 27 to February 6:
View larger. | For illustrative purposes, the moon appears larger than it does in the real sky. Mid-northern latitudes in Europe and Asia see the planets similarly positioned, yet see the moon somewhat offset toward the previous date. The green line on the above chart depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the Zodiac.
View larger. For illustrative purposes, the moon appears larger than it does in the real sky. Mid-northern latitudes in Europe and Asia will see the moon somewhat offset toward the previous date. The green line on the above chart depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the Zodiac.
Of course, you can catch most of these planets before dawn. Jupiter rises first, in the evening hours, followed by Mars after midnight and then Saturn, Venus and Mercury. Click here to find when each planet rises into your sky for any given date.
May you be blessed with clear skies for the upcoming planetary spectacle, with all five visible planets taking stage in the same sky from January 20 to February 20, 2016!
Relative distances of the planets in astronomical units (sun-Earth distance):
Distances from the sun of planets in our solar system, expressed in A.U. Graph via planetsforkids.org
Mean distance in astronomical units (AU) from sun to each planet.
Mercury: 0.387 AU
Venus: 0.723 AU
Earth: 1.000 AU
Mars: 1.524 AU
Jupiter: 5.203 AU
Saturn: 9.529 AU
Uranus: 19.19 AU
Neptune: 30.06 AU
If you want to find out the distances of the solar system planets from the Earth and sun right now, click here.
Bottom line: All five visible planets will appear together in the morning sky early next year – from about January 20 to February 20, 2016. That hasn’t happened since 2005.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1GLrzQP
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