As the world dives deep into year end festivities, astronomers and amateur stargazers are in for a celestial delight. All planets of our Solar System line up for a spectacular nighttime show visible in the sky.
Five of the closest planets in Earth’s backyard will be visible from the naked eye. The windows for Mercury and Venus will be small but Mars, Saturn and Jupiter will be a trio standing out in stellar background for a long time every night.
The two far away planets of Uranus and Neptune will also line up in the visible planetary parade, but people will need equipment to observe them. Here’s all you need to know about the second and final planetary alignment of 2022, how and where to watch it.
Christmas-New Year planetary parade
To watch the planetary conjunction, be ready at sunset. Star gazers will need a clear line of view in the southwest (SW) direction and a clear sky to view Mercury and Venus. The two planets will be visible for a short time.
Find Venus shining brightly in the SW sky around 30 minutes post subset. Mercury can be seen just above it but much less bright. Viewing Mercury with the naked eye may be difficult considering the light around it. A binocular will help. They will be visible for around half an hour.
A 3-day-old, slender waxing crescent Moon, which joined the parade on Saturday, will be visible above Mercury, a little SW. Following the alignment, you’ll next see Saturn, which may be tricky as it would be dimmer than usual. Next, Jupiter will be visible in the south direction, high in the sky. Moving towards east, a bright red Mars will be easily visible.
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Neptune will be visible between Saturn and Jupiter. Uranus is placed between Jupiter and Mars. To view Uranus and Neptune, binoculars or a telescope would be needed.
Order of alignment (SW to E): Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, Mars
The planetary parade was earlier seen in June 2022, when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn lined up in their orbital order for the first time in 18 years. The current one will continue until Mercury leaves the line around the end of the year.
People interested in watching it but unable to watch outdoors in person can watch the fine show online. Astronomer Gianluca Masi will hold a live viewing through the Virtual Telescope Project of the Bellatrix Astronomical Observatory in Ceccano, Italy. The live viewing will showcase the celestial show unfolding over Rome on December 28 from 4pm (UTC).
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