Some people say that good things only happen ‘when the stars align’.
Until that happens, the best the universe can offer is aligning planets, we’re afraid.
Throughout January, four planets will line up in the night sky and be simultaneously visible to the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere.
Our celestial neighbours Venus and Mars as well as big brothers Saturn and Jupiter will make up the fab four, according to Nasa.
Admission to this dance is free, of course. But if you have a telescope, the space agency says you can also spot Uranus and Neptune getting involved in this planetary performance this month.
Look up just after the sun sets and you’ll see Venus and Saturn in the southwest for a few hours, shining so brightly you might mistake them for aeroplane lights.
Or, you know, stars. Those other lights in the night sky you can most days.
Jupiter, meanwhile, will glisten just above and the red planet to the east.
And, on one day, Uranus might be just bright enough that five planets will be visible when you crane your neck up.
Despite the name, a planetary alignment isn’t when the planets get in a row, it’s when a fair few gather on one side of the Sun. A planetary parade, meanwhile, describes them all being visible in the sky.
The best day and time to see this four-planet parade is just after sunset until 9pm on January 21, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich.
And the fab four could become the fab five if the skies are crystal clear – there’s a chance Uranus will appear as a faint speck.
Mars will glow especially red this month as the planet enters ‘opposition’ on January 16, says Nasa. This is when the planet is on the other side of Earth from the Sun.
Two days later, Venus and Saturn will look as if they’re only a £2 coin apart in what officials call a ‘super close approach’.
The planets will then have a rather public astronomical break-up as they separate over the following days.
Uranus will be in the same patch of sky as Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter this month but won’t be bright enough to be visible without observational equipment. The same goes for Neptune.
If you have a telescope or high-powered binoculars, Uranus will be roughly west of Jupiter, while Neptune is to the upper left of Saturn and Venus.
Space officials say planetary alignments aren’t super rare but aren’t exactly common either, often only taking place every few years or so.
‘Now, these events are sometimes called “alignments” of the planets, and while it’s true that they will appear more or less along a line across the sky, that’s what planets always do,’ Nasa says.
‘That line is called the ecliptic and it represents the plane of the solar system in which the planets orbit around the Sun.’
The agency adds: ‘Is it a “planet parade”? This isn’t a technical term in astronomy, so call it what you wish!’
Mercury will be visible as well until at least Sunday, according to Sky & Telescope, just not in the same patch as the four other planets and not nearly as dazzling.
‘Look for it low in the southeast about 45 minutes before sunrise. (Don’t confuse it with fainter Antares about two fists to its upper right,)’ the magazine says.
For anyone hoping to see this rare-ish celestial spectacle, head outside for about half an hour to let your eyes adjust to the darkness too.
If possible, get as far away from street lights and other artificial lights as possible. You can use light pollution maps like this one to find the best viewing spots.
Experts also recommend people use finder-charts – maps of the stars – or stargazing apps to help discern the planets from stars twinkling in the sky.
A good hack to differentiate them from one expert is to close one eye, reach out your arm and pass your thumb over a bright dot in the sky.
If the speck dims when your thumb passes it, it’s a planet. If it immediately blinks out as if you switched the light off, it’s a star.
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