Planetary conjunctions don’t have deep astronomical significance, but they are heavenly spectacles worth seeing. In our solar system, conjunctions frequently occur between planets because the planets orbit the Sun in approximately the same plane, the ecliptic plane, and thus trace similar paths through our sky.
Since 2020 there has not been such a complete lineup
This is the case of the fantastic planetary meeting that has begun this April 17 and we can enjoy throughout the week. Stargazers are in luck as, beginning April 17, Saturn, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter will appear diagonally aligned in the pre-dawn sky.
In the northern hemisphere of the planet they will be more visible in the southeast on the morning of April 20 (it is the best day to see the planetary alignment), near the rising sun and in the southern hemisphere more to the east and at a steeper angle than on this other side of the planet.
How to distinguish them?
For starters, the planets don’t twinkle, the stars do. While the stars twinkle, the planets constantly shine.
The planets will be easy to spot with the naked eye and we will be able to discern between them by their variations in color and brightness. Venus, for example, will be the brightest of the four planets (in bright white light); Jupiter will be second brightest (Jupiter is light tan and Saturn is yellowish tan); Saturn, much fainter than the other three, because it is much farther from the Sun, and Mars will be the easiest to distinguish thanks to its coloration, as we will see it as a bright orange point of light in the sky. The Moon will appear further south, just to the right of Saturn.
You will not need binoculars or a telescope, but if you have them you will have a privileged view of the rare conjunction. It has only happened three times since 2005 and the last time was in 2020.
Remember that planetary alignment depends on our point of view, so if three planets are in the same region of the sky from the point of view of the Earth, they are not necessarily in the same region of the sky from the point of view of the Sun. .
But this is not all. If you like astrophotography you are in luck because according to NASA, the two brightest planets in the sky, Venus and Jupiter, will also have their own ultra-close conjunction at the end of the month, on April 30.
And this month’s lineup, while rare enough in itself, will be just a teaser for an even more incredible event taking place in June of this year. On June 24th, all the other planets in the solar system (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus) will join in an even greater planetary alignment. The appointment will be before dawn. Are you going to miss it?
Reference: NASA
