You can see almost three worlds embracing each other in the sky on Monday and Tuesday nights (April 4-5) if you get up early.
cloudy Venusbright Mars and fly Saturn They will all gather again in the southeast sky before dawn after the formation Celestial triangle In late March.
NASA notes that Mars and Saturn were only toe-wide apart on Friday (April 1), but will be closer by Monday.
“By the fourth of the month, Saturn and Mars are less than the width of a full moon. Then Saturn moves, and its separation from Mars increases every day,” the agency said in a statement. statment. You can best watch the show around 5:50 a.m. EDT in New York City, about 45 minutes before dawn.
If you are looking for a binoculars or telescope to see planets in the night sky, check out our guides for best binoculars And the The best telescopes. If you need photographic equipment, consider our website The best cameras for astrophotography And the Best lenses for astrophotography To prepare for the next planet scene.
Related: The brightest planets in the night sky: how to see them (and when)
Seeing planets?
If you take a picture of the planets, let us know! You can send photos and comments in [email protected].
You can also see the planets move slightly between Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday, Saturn and Mars will reach their closest approach to each other, just half a degree apart. (Mars will glow red, below Saturn white and yellow.)
NASA said Venus will also be visible to the lower left of Saturn and Mars. “Venus will finally rise above the east-southeast horizon at 4:54 a.m. EDT, and will be about 10 degrees above the horizon as morning twilight begins about an hour later at 5:48 a.m.,” the agency stated.
Besides the display of planets, there is plenty to see in the night sky. Monday is bright chandelier The star cluster will only be five degrees in the upper right of morning crescent the moon.
While the group of stars is visible to the naked eye, it depends on how much they are light pollution Contrasted with opinion. “You may need binoculars to really appreciate this star cluster,” NASA said.
Then, on Tuesday, watch out for the shining star Aldebaran, about seven degrees to the lower left of the moon. The star is the eye of the bull, the constellation Taurus. (Names may vary depending on which culture they follow; here, we are referring to the official designations by the International Astronomical Union.)
Planetary and lunar alignment is common because all of these worlds orbit in the same approximate plane of the solar system, known as ecliptic. Even if you don’t quite capture the alignment of worlds, the three planets will still be shining in the coming days and will give you a great view.
Editor’s note: If you’ve taken an amazing photo of the planets and would like to share it with Space.com for a story or gallery, let us know! You can send photos and comments in [email protected]
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