The stunning image shows every planet in the solar system lined up across the night sky
Stargazers have captured some stunning images of a rare astronomical event that means every planet in the solar system is visible in the night sky at the same time.
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn can all be seen with the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune can be seen with binoculars or a telescope.
Astronomer Dr. Gianluca Massi shared a photo he took of the five planets visible to the naked eye, while other sky watchers around the world also took pictures of the “planet parade”.
He took it from a rooftop in Rome, Italy last night using a special lens camera.
Dr. Gianluca Massi took the photo from the roof of the building where he lives last night, using a camera with a special lens. It shows Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and the Moon
The solar system will put on a show for space lovers the next two evenings, with all seven planets other than Earth visible in the night sky.
Starting at the southwestern horizon and moving east, the images show Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, in that order.
All seven other planets in our solar system will remain visible for the next two nights, with only Uranus and Neptune needing a telescope or binoculars.
Dr Massey, who works with the Virtual Telescope Project, told MailOnline: ‘The opportunity to see all of the planetary family at a glance doesn’t happen often.
We can get a better idea of where in the cosmic universe we live by looking at other planets.
“We only have two days to look at this view, before Mercury disappears in the sun’s glare.”
This week, Twitter users from all over the world, including Japan and the United States, shared photos of the scene online.
It is known that this phenomenon occurs approximately once every two years.
All the planets appeared in the night sky as tiny points of light to stargazers in the northern hemisphere.
Mercury is the hardest planet to see without magnification, as it sits in a bright part of the sky, yet it can be spotted near the much brighter Venus which outshines it by 70 times.
Tonight, the two will reach conjunction — their closest point — at 21:00 GMT (16:00 ET), and they won’t appear that close again until 2024.
Spotted low in the west, it gets its best view about half an hour after sunset, with Venus disappearing about 40 minutes later.
The rest of the planets line up to the east, and Jupiter appears Brighter than all the stars and high in the southern sky.
While the largest planet in our solar system disappears just before midnight, Mars remains visible all night after rising in the east just before sunset.
It will appear red and brighter than most stars, while its neighbor Saturn will be golden when it appears in the southwest after dark.
The ringed planet will set at around 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET), but chart earlier and earlier as the month goes on.
All the planets appear in the night sky as tiny points of light to stargazers in the northern hemisphere. Mercury is the hardest planet to see without magnification, as it sits in a bright part of the sky, yet it can be spotted near the much brighter Venus, which outshines it by 70 times.
Space enthusiasts are taking to Twitter to share their photos of the five other planets in our solar system lining the sky this week
The moon also joins the lineup of planets, appearing as a waxing crescent between Jupiter and Saturn tonight.
With a magnifier, Uranus can be seen between Mars and Jupiter, and Neptune between Saturn and Jupiter.
‘We still have a couple of days to try and see that planetary alignment,’ Dr Massey told MailOnline.
“What is important is to choose an observing site that offers an unobstructed view of the western horizon, as Venus and Mercury will be very low.
“To see this planetary display, you only need to look up shortly after sunset; once the sky is dark enough to see, on the southwestern horizon, Venus, which is easy to find, is very bright.
After that, Mercury is located 2 degrees away from it, in the next couple of days, but it is much weaker.
It should be visible to the naked eye before it sets, but binoculars will make it easier to see the innermost planet.
Next, we have Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, plus the Moon not far from Jupiter.
“Binoculars will also show Uranus and Neptune, so the entire planetary system can be explored in a few minutes.”
About half an hour after sunset, look for Venus in the southwestern sky, near the horizon. Mercury will appear very close. The rest of the planets – Saturn, Jupiter and Mars – will line up to the east and sequentially higher in the sky. Pictured: a view of a planet from London at 16:15 GMT on December 29
The five worlds will shine in succession as they all travel at the plane of the solar system, known as the ecliptic. However, they will not be as close as it seems, because each planet is millions of miles away from the others
With a magnifier, Uranus can be seen between Mars and Jupiter, and Neptune between Saturn and Jupiter. Pictured: Venus, Mars and Jupiter alignment over the Isle of Portland in Dorset, UK in the summer of 2022
The five realms shine in a row because they are All travel across the solar system, known as the ecliptic.
The Planet Parade was last seen from the UK in June, when it was also joined by a crescent moon.
The five planets visible to the naked eye appeared in order of their distance from the sun – a combination not seen in 18 years.
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