The apparent magnitude of the planets during a conjunction can vary, depending on their distance from the Earth, their size, and their reflective properties. “During a conjunction, the planets may appear to be aligned in a straight line, or they may form a triangle, a square, or another geometric pattern. Many factors apparently influence the planetary conjunction which includes relative position of planets, apparent magnitude, frequency and occultation. For example, Jupiter and Saturn come into conjunction roughly every 20 years, and Venus and Mars come into conjunction roughly every two years,” says Raj. However, it's worth noting that other types of planetary conjunctions, involving different combinations of planets, occur with much greater frequency. “The next time this specific alignment will occur will be in the year 2040. Multiple instances of five-planet alignment have occurred in recent years (2016, 2020, and 2022), but due to the dynamic nature of planetary movements, the specific combination of planets in alignment varies each time. This is because the distances between the planets are vast, and even during a conjunction, they remain millions of miles apart from one another,” says Sarath Raj, Project Director – Amity Dubai Satellite Ground Station and AmiSat Amity University Dubai. It's worth noting that although the planets appeared close to one another in the sky, they were actually still quite far apart in space. “Planetary conjunctions happen often in our Solar System as the planets follow comparable paths along the ecliptic plane while orbiting the Sun. When there is no moon one can go to the desert and observe the Uranus with the naked eye but certainly, telescopes lead to a better view.”Įxperts underline conjunctions are not astronomically significant but are pleasant to observe. Therefore, Uranus will be quite dim for us to observe from the city. That’s because of the urban lights and the Moon’s glare that will not make this planet visible with an unaided eye. It can only be viewed with the help of a telescope. Uranus will not be visible to the naked eye. But Venus, Uranus and Mars can be easily observed later on. Mercury and Jupiter will be lying very low so there will be a short time to observe those planets. We have Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars, and the Moon will be the added attraction to this. He adds, “This alignment is truly impressive for someone who is observing it (from the Earth). Hariri underlines that though the planets go around the Sun in different orbits and orbital period, sometimes, they appear on the sky ‘bunched together’ in an alignment and more than one planet appears on the night sky of Earth in a linear arrangement. This time this kind of alignment will take place around the evening.” Last year, this alignment happened around morning. This happens because of the rotation of the Earth around the Sun. When the observers from the Earth look at the sky, to them, it appears as if these planets are in alignment. But people in the UAE will be able to enjoy this cosmic spectacle.ĭubai Astronomy Group CEO Hasan Al Hariri opines, “This phenomenon may happen once or twice in a year depending on the alignment of the planet as seen from the Earth. The letters represent compass directions - N is north, WNW is west by northwest, and so on.ĭisappears represents where in the night sky the International Space Station will leave your field of view.Experts underline whether people around the world can effectively see this alignment will depend on their geographical position and ambient light condition. This value, like maximum height, also is measured in degrees from the horizon. If you hold your fist at arm's length and place your fist resting on the horizon, the top will be about 10 degrees.Īppears is the location in the sky where the station will be visible first. The horizon is at zero degrees, and directly overhead is ninety degrees. It represents the height of the space station from the horizon in the night sky. Max Height is measured in degrees (also known as elevation). Visible is the maximum time period the space station is visible before crossing back below the horizon. This is the optimum viewing period as the sun reflects off the space station and contrasts against the darker sky. All sightings will occur within a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset. Time is when the sighting opportunity will begin in your local time zone. What does all this sighting information mean?
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