Worlds aren't colliding, but they'll look pretty close to it. Through Sunday night, Mercury, Venus and Saturn will appear to be so close together that the trio will look like a new constellation.
Viewing: The best time is 30 to 45 minutes after sunset. Look in the western sky. Venus, which will be between Mercury and Saturn, will give off a very bright light. Mercury, to Venus' right, will give off a pinkish hue. Saturn will look white. Jack Horkheimer, host of Miami-based PBS show Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer, recommended using binoculars or telescopes to see some of the planets' striking details, such as Saturn's rings.
Just a coincidence: Scientists said the grouping is a coincidence of the planets' orbits, and occurs every five to 10 years. It will be followed Monday night with Mercury and Venus separated by such a small distance that some might mistake the two for one large star. That event isn't expected to happen again until 2070.
No galactic danger: There's no threat of collision. The planets will still be millions of miles from one another, but from Earth they'll look as if they're side by side.
No comments:
Post a Comment