- A parade of planets is about to make a rare appearance
in the evening sky.
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- For the next few weeks, all five of the naked-eye planets,
those visible without the aid of a telescope, will be visible soon after
sunset.
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- Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter will be arranged
in a line stretching from the western horizon to high in the eastern sky.
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- It is unusual when all of these planets can be seen at
the same time. It occurs only about once or twice a decade, said Terence
Dickinson, editor of SkyNews, a Canadian magazine of astronomy and stargazing.
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- Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, is visible above
the horizon for only a few weeks each year.
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- And it's not often that the other planets happen to be
perfectly positioned during this brief period so that they, too, can be
seen.
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- "This is the kind of stuff that gets back-yard astronomers
excited ó to see all these bright objects together," Mr. Dickinson
said.
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- "It doesn't have any astronomical significance,
but it's pretty."
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- Even people who do not know anything about spotting planets
or stars should be able to take part in this celestial event.
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- That's because the moon will appear to come extremely
close to each one of the planets over a series of nights, making them easier
to identify.
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- "The clockwork of the cosmos just so happens to
turn the moon into a pointer to the planets," as Earth's natural satellite
makes its monthly journey across the heavens, Mr. Dickinson said.
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- The key planet-spotting nights are from Monday night
to April 2.
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- Monday night, Mercury will be seen close to the moon.
The best time to observe is from 7:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., or about an hour
after sunset, Mr. Dickinson said. (This applies across the country, regardless
of the time zone.)
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- "Look for the moon low in the west. It will be a
very thin crescent. Then look toward the horizon and down to the right.
Mercury will be there," Mr. Dickinson said.
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- However, he cautioned that you will need an unobstructed
view of the western horizon because the planet is so low in the sky.
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- On March 24, Venus will be just to the right of the moon.
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- It should be a "spectacular sight" because
they are the two brightest objects in the evening sky, Mr. Dickinson noted.
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- "They are so close together and so prominent. ...
Even if you are not looking for them, they are sure to catch your eye."
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- On March 25, Mars will be a bit to the left of the moon.
In parts of Canada's Far North, where the viewing angle is slightly different,
the moon will cover Mars briefly.
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- As an added bonus for all viewers, the Pleiades star
cluster, popularly known as the Seven Sisters, is to the right of the moon
and Mars.
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- On March 28, it will be Saturn's turn to be graced by
the moon. At sunset, the pair will be high in the sky.
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- "There will be no mistaking Saturn. Nothing else
will be that bright that close to the Moon," Mr. Dickinson said.
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- On April 2, Jupiter will sit to the moon's right. The
two will be found mid-way up the eastern sky.
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- But there will be no need to rush out at sunset to see
them: They will be visible most of the night.
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- Mr. Dickinson, who has observed the skies for more than
40 years, said he cannot remember the last time the position of the moon
could be used to find all these planets over such a short time. "It
almost seems to be purposely pointing out the planets."
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- Some science centres and amateur astronomy clubs will
hold special events during the next few weeks and from April 19 to April
25, to mark international astronomy week.
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- A few will set up telescopes to give the public a closer
view of the planets.
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- Alan Dyer, astronomer at Calgary Science Centre, suggested
that people contact local astronomy organizations to find programs in their
areas.
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- © 2004 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights
Reserved.
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