One planetary scientist explains that “you can enjoy the show” even in the “urban sky”

“We can enjoy the show” The same “In the urban sky”Emmanuel Mark, astronomer-researcher-researcher at the University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin on Friday, June 24 in franceinfo, explained that a rare celestial view of the sky delights astronomers, aligning the planets of the solar system.

Looking at the sky to the east, the parade of these planets will be presented to the viewer from midnight to dawn, the most favorable moment: the image is arranged from left to right, at the beginning of the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Uranus, Mars, Jupiter, Neptune and the distant Saturn, Moon between the orbits of these stars. Combine at a time in this dummy alignment due to a rare moment.

“This is a beautiful thing”He says. “The planets all orbit the sun, and each time they are all approximately in the same category.”, He explains. One event should not be missed, as the next renovation is scheduled for 2124.

franceinfo: Can we observe these seven planets with the naked eye?

Emmanuel Mark: Five of these seven brightest planets can be seen with the naked eye. What is really a very special structure is that the planets rise in reverse order of their distance from the sun. We first have Saturn rise at one o’clock in the morning, followed by Jupiter, then Mars, the Moon’s crescent Mars and Venus, then Mercury and finally between the rising sun. Five to six o’clock in the morning in metropolitan France. The show runs throughout the second half of the night. In fact it is a very rare thing. They are like the sun. Looking at the eastern horizon, we see them gradually rising in the sky, inevitably from sunrise, one way or another, beginning with Saturn at one o’clock in the morning and then rising until sunrise, which ends the show. , The vision of the planets decreases very sharply. We can still, with the tools, observe them even in broad daylight.

When is the best time to watch this show?

For practical and aesthetic reasons, it is best to watch forty-five minutes to half an hour before sunrise. Dawn has begun to fall and the view of the planets is even better. They are almost all on top. In this case, we can have the panorama in all its majesty occupying almost the entire eastern horizon of the sky. Some are as bright as Friday and Thursday. Even in the urban sky you can’t miss it. This is a display that is open to everyone until the weather is nice.

Is it scientifically interested?

This is a beautiful thing. There is really no particular scientific interest. This is a coincidence. The planets all orbit the sun, and from time to time they are all in approximately the same category. And it is the structure we currently have that allows us to enjoy this show. We take advantage of the fact that the solar system is flat globally. All the planets orbit the sun in the same plane. It provides a custom alignment direction. In this alignment direction, we find ourselves with all the planets assembled in a section approximately 90 wide, by chance of orbital periods. This is not a very precise alignment, which is why we can enjoy it for a few more days.

Is this a very rare occurrence?

Yes, it is very rare. The last time this happened was in the 1990s, the next time in the 22nd century. Really, if possible, this is the scene to enjoy for a few more days now. The moon will shift. Since it is the fastest moving star in the sky, it will break the alignment very fast. After that, the planets, especially the fastest planets near the Sun, like Mercury and Venus will go to the other side very quickly and break this alignment a little within a maximum of a few weeks.