Looking at the planets it’s one of the most spectacular ways to witness the magic of the night sky—and there’s no better way to see it than through the motions of the planets. This is where several planets align.
On January 21, six planets—Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—will appear simultaneously in the sky, and their declination will be easily seen in almost all parts of the world. But if you missed your chance to see the night sky on January 21, don’t worry: There’s plenty of time to see these planets.
The arrangement is visible for one month, until the end of February. The positions of the planets, however, have changed during this time, so that their position on January 21 will not be the same as their position at the end of February.
Although two planets are in harmony, a conjunction of five or more is rare. There will be two more planets with five or more planets this year, but later, the next alignment of five or more planets. it won’t happen until 2040.
Here’s everything you need to know to see how the planets move.
How to Watch
For better vision, allow 20 to 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. You’ll want to see how the planets move at sunset and from far away in artificial light, which makes it difficult to see objects in the night sky.
Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Venus will appear in an arc from east to west. You can see four of these planets with your naked eyes; however, two of them—Uranus and Neptune—require high-powered binoculars or a backyard telescope. The exact location of the night sky to view each country on the 21st is below, but if you don’t know how to find it, don’t worry – apps like Pictures of Stellarium it can help you find planets and other celestial objects easily.
Viewing Time
The best time to view the planets is right after sunset, because three of them—Venus, Saturn, and Neptune—are between about 9 and 10:30 pm local time. Note that the exact time each planet rises and sets varies slightly depending on where you are on Earth; you can use a website like Time and Date to find the exact time of your location.
It’s a good idea to start looking in the sky in the evening if you can, because Venus, Saturn, and Neptune will drop below the horizon before setting, and will be harder to see as the evening progresses.
Mars
On January 21, Mars will be in the east, directly under the constellation of Gemini. Mars has just reached opposition—meaning Earth is directly between it and the sun—so the Red Planet will be at its largest and brightest and will be visible throughout the night.
Mars is easily visible to the naked eye. But if you use a telescope in the background, you will be able to see North polar ice cap, which passes more than 600 kilometersand Mariner Valleythe largest plain in the solar system, which runs along the edge of the equator on Mars and is more than 1,800 kilometers long.
Jupiter
Jupiter will be west of Mars, in the constellation of Taurus. Jupiter is easily visible to the naked eye. However, high-powered binoculars allow you to see Jupiter’s moons and possibly its cloud bands.
A backyard telescope allows you to see this giant planet in great detail. Look for Jupiter’s cloud bands and its amazing Red Spot, an anticyclone that it is more than 10,000 kilometers wide—Multiplied by 1.3 the width of the Earth. The Red Spot is not always visible from Earth, because Jupiter days are about 10 hoursmeaning that storms spend more time looking away from Earth during most nights. You can use it this calculator from Sky & Telescope to see when it will appear in your area.
Jupiter will be visible throughout the night: It rises mid-to-evening on January 21 and sets between 3 and 5 a.m. on January 22, depending on where you are.
Uranus
On the 21st, Uranus will be about 50 degrees west of Jupiter and a little below. Uranus will appear to be close and the Pleiadesa bright constellation visible to the naked eye.
You will need very powerful binoculars or a backyard telescope to see Uranus, as it is too dark to see with the naked eye. Through such instruments, Uranus appears as a star with a pale blue color. Although Uranus has rings, they are too faint to be seen, even with telescopes. However, if you have a powerful backyard telescope, you can see the moon.
2025-01-17 12:00:00
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