New York: The five major planets in our solar system – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – line up for a rare planetary conjunction visible to the naked eye. In a clear sky, the planets can be seen shining before dawn. The BBC reported on Friday that it is a special occasion to see Mercury, which is not usually visible from the bright light of the Sun.
The conjunction was brightest on Friday morning, but will be visible from most parts of the world until Monday.
The planets align. This is right. what is the time? Is this also a rhyme?
Start tonight to see Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn spread out and line up in the sky. On June 23 the crescent joins them: https://t.co/36QwkIxfaw pic.twitter.com/uh5V9W2q45— NASA (@NASA) June 19, 2022
The last time this conjunction happened was in 2004 and will not be seen again until 2040, the report said.
Space scientist and chief stargazer of the Society for Popular Astronomy Prof Lucy Green explains that the planets appear “like a string of pearls extending close to the horizon”.
It is also a special phenomenon because the planets appear in the order in which they are located from the Sun.
Prof Green says this is not always the case for planetary conjunctions because of our view of the solar system from Earth.
On Friday, a crescent Moon also joined the line-up, visible between Venus and Mars.