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Credit & Copyright: T. Bridgman (
GSFC and
Greenbelt Astronomy Club),
Carina Software
Explanation:
Look up tonight.
Just after sunset, the crescent moon and
all five "naked-eye" planets
(Mercury,
Venus,
Mars,
Jupiter,
and Saturn)
will be visible (depending on your latitude), lying near
our solar system's ecliptic plane.
Venus and Jupiter will shine brilliantly as the brightest "stars"
in the sky, but Mercury will be near the horizon and hard to see.
A pair of binoculars will also reveal Uranus and Neptune and
observers with a telescope and a good site may even be able
to glimpse faint Pluto just above the
Western horizon in the fading twilight (not shown on the chart above).
Enjoy this lovely spectacle
any clear night through about December 8.
A similar gathering is expected in May 2000
but the planets will be hidden from view by the solar glare.
A night sky as full of planets as this one will occur
again though ... in about 100 years.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: planet - ecliptic - Solar System
Publications with words: planet - ecliptic - Solar System
See also: