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Did you miss today’s rare astronomical event? The unique planetary alignment that took place before sunrise today, June 3, will bring another opportunity for sky-watchers. Six planets, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, called the Planetary Parade 2024, were to join together before dawn on June 3. Earlier, NASA had said that this parade of planets would not be very spectacular. According to Ronald Gamble, a theoretical astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, “The Sun is going to photobomb the parade.”
What is planetary alignment?
Planetary alignment describes a rare position of planets within the solar system. During this phenomenon, the planets appear to align in a straight line, creating an illusion. It is important to note that planetary alignment is more of an optical illusion than a real phenomenon.
According to NASA, planetary alignments occur when two or more planets come together in the sky to form a conjunction, which is called an ‘alignment’.
When will the next planetary alignment be?
According to today.com According to the report, the next planetary alignment is scheduled for August 28 and will also involve the same six planets. Additionally, the report states that in 2025, three similar events are expected. The first alignment is scheduled for January 18, the second for February 28, and the third for August 9. The second and third events will collectively involve seven major planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
What is the best time to watch the planetary parade?
NASA said the parade of planets can be seen ‘just over an hour before sunrise’ depending on their local time. Due to the bright light, it may be challenging to observe all the planets, with only the Moon, Mars and Saturn clearly visible in the sky. Other planets will likely require the use of a telescope to see.
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Published: June 03, 2024, 08:03 AM IST
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