Last month, Jupiter and Saturn treated astronauts to a spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime view “great combination, “when they were closer to the night sky than they were since the Middle Ages. Now that the two largest planets in our solar system are moving apart, a third together with them – Mercury – form a rare three-planet connection.
A triple connection is traditionally defined as two planets meeting three times in a short time but NASA has also used the term to refer to three planetary meetings. A planetary trio is defined by planets inside a circle with a diameter of less than 5 degrees in width – seen as three fingers held together at arm’s length, according to EarthSky.
The last one happened in October 2015.
Jupiter and Saturn have been moving slowly since their demise a very rare meeting in December, but Mercury is just now coming to mind, forming the planet triangle.
“From Friday afternoon to Monday afternoon, the planet Mercury is likely to pass first by Saturn and then by Jupiter as it moves away from the horizon, visible every evening low in the west. southwest and set before the end of an afternoon, “NASA said.
Planetary experiments are rare, although nowhere near as specific as the recent major conglomerate. Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will meet in the skies on February 13th.
After that, another triple collaboration will not happen until April 2026, when Mercury, Mars and Saturn meet, according to EarthSky.
YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP via Getty Images
As you look
The trio of planets is best seen at dusk, from Friday to Monday. All three will be visible low in the western skies, near a sunset spot on the horizon, EarthSky said.
On Sunday, January 10, the three planets closest to each other, corresponding inside a circle with a diameter of 2 1/2 degrees at 19:00 UTC.
Clear conditions will be needed to see the planets, but they will be visible together for several days. As always, it is important to find a place away from the bright lights of the city for the best viewing conditions.
Binoculars will come in handy for seeing the three clearly, but they will also be visible to the naked eye. Another way to improve your experience is to watch the event from a high vantage point, with a very clear view of the horizon.
Jupiter will be like the brightest of the planets, followed by Mercury, then Saturn – making it the hardest thing to see. It is important to look for the planets in the 30 minutes after sunset – later, and they will fall below the horizon.
After the coupling, mercury will continue to climb higher in the sky, while Jupiter and Saturn will sink, soon disappearing completely. Mercury will reach its maximum expansion on January 24.