4 ms·

Don't forget 6-planet alignment.

by storus 2mo ago

ButlerianJihad 2mo ago
Aligned with what, exactly? It is true that 6 planets have found themselves on the night-side: excluding Venus (currently an "Evening Star"); with Pluto setting just before Mercury and Jupiter rise. But the chances of seeing them all aren't great; Jupiter's only about 10° away from the Sun as it rises. Uranus and Neptune, as always, are far too dim to see without a good telescope. But they are not aligned with one another, and not particularly aligned with anything in the sky. 6 planets on the night-side is not a rare occurrence by any means. It is just the stupidity of social media clickbait that promotes these "Planetary Parades" as something exciting. Just go see planets. There are plenty of opportunities. Sometimes they are even in conjunction with one another. Now is not one of those times.
- lloeki 2mo ago
  > Aligned with what, exactly? The ecliptic plane? Which all planets are aligned onto so people take a ruler put and are like "OMG planets align" when they end up in the same rough patch of the sky.
- storus 2mo ago
  I mean the whole eclipse was shortly before the sunset and shortly after the sunset you could see 6 planets nearby. That's quite unique, don't you think?
  - ButlerianJihad 2mo ago
    No. It would not be unique if it were true, and what you said is false. "Unique" is a one-time occurrence. Perhaps we could say a unique alignment is once in a human lifetime. There will be more eclipses, and the planets are nearly always there to be found! Everything in our solar system is cyclical! During totality, you may possibly have glimpsed Venus, Mercury, Jupiter. Shortly after the sunset, only one planet was visible (besides Earth): Venus. The others were below the horizon. See my GP post. I don't know what you mean by "nearby". Jupiter and Mercury are quite close, and making a closer approach within a couple of days. The planets, as sibling points out, are strung out along the ecliptic plane. From our vantage point on Earth, there are wide distances between most. There is a very wide distance across the sky for the set of six. The set of six planets are on the night side and they are most visible just before sunrise. Not after sunset. Check your reliable websites: NASA, ESA, Sky & Telescope, EarthSky. Check a reliable simulation app, such as Stellarium. Don't trust your randos on social media.

Don't forget 6-planet alignment.

by storus 2mo ago

Don't forget 6-planet alignment.

Aligned with what, exactly? It is true that 6 planets have found themselves on the night-side: excluding Venus (currently an "Evening Star"); with Pluto setting just before Mercury and Jupiter rise. But the chances of seeing them all aren't great; Jupiter's only about 10° away from the Sun as it rises. Uranus and Neptune, as always, are far too dim to see without a good telescope. But they are not aligned with one another, and not particularly aligned with anything in the sky. 6 planets on the night-side is not a rare occurrence by any means. It is just the stupidity of social media clickbait that promotes these "Planetary Parades" as something exciting. Just go see planets. There are plenty of opportunities. Sometimes they are even in conjunction with one another. Now is not one of those times.

lloeki 2mo ago
> Aligned with what, exactly? The ecliptic plane? Which all planets are aligned onto so people take a ruler put and are like "OMG planets align" when they end up in the same rough patch of the sky.
storus 2mo ago
I mean the whole eclipse was shortly before the sunset and shortly after the sunset you could see 6 planets nearby. That's quite unique, don't you think?
- ButlerianJihad 2mo ago
  No. It would not be unique if it were true, and what you said is false. "Unique" is a one-time occurrence. Perhaps we could say a unique alignment is once in a human lifetime. There will be more eclipses, and the planets are nearly always there to be found! Everything in our solar system is cyclical! During totality, you may possibly have glimpsed Venus, Mercury, Jupiter. Shortly after the sunset, only one planet was visible (besides Earth): Venus. The others were below the horizon. See my GP post. I don't know what you mean by "nearby". Jupiter and Mercury are quite close, and making a closer approach within a couple of days. The planets, as sibling points out, are strung out along the ecliptic plane. From our vantage point on Earth, there are wide distances between most. There is a very wide distance across the sky for the set of six. The set of six planets are on the night side and they are most visible just before sunrise. Not after sunset. Check your reliable websites: NASA, ESA, Sky & Telescope, EarthSky. Check a reliable simulation app, such as Stellarium. Don't trust your randos on social media.