Most of the planets in the solar system will align, curving a corner of the night sky on Monday in a rare sight. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will pass through the sky, accompanied by the Moon and a possible star cluster. While the scenario will be visible to the naked eye, astronomers recommend pulling out binoculars or a telescope for a closer look.
According to Space.com, the planets will line the western horizon in an arc, starting with Mercury and Jupiter about 20 to 25 minutes after sunset on Monday. But Space.com warned that the brightness of twilight could mask them, adding that the viewing window is only 25 to 30 minutes.
The planets will also be so close to the horizon that any structure or glitch in the line of sight could obscure them. “Your best bet is to look out for the west-facing shoreline, which is completely flat and completely clear with nothing blocking your view,” Space.com said.
Slightly higher up, but more visible and with a longer viewing window, there will be Venus, with a pale greenish-hued Uranus above it to the left. Next on the list is Mars, which is higher up and more comfortable near the crescent, according to Starwalk.
Monday is the best day to observe this phenomenon, but the alignment will be seen in the days before and after the high point. But before that, a massive skyscraper-sized asteroid will pass near Earth in orbit of the Moon. Asteroid 2023 DZ2 is three times larger than the meteorite that frustrates nerves and blew up windows in the Russian industrial city of Chelyabinsk 10 years ago.
According to NASA’s Asteroid Watch, the 2023 DZ2 won’t get that close, but it will fly halfway between Earth and the Moon, about 100,000 miles away. This will happen at 3:51 p.m. Saturday, but this schedule is subject to change as observations are received. The newly discovered asteroid, which NASA estimates is between 141 and 310 feet in diameter, will be moving toward the Sun at 17,426 miles per hour, according to EarthSky.org.
“While close-ups are a regular occurrence, an asteroid of this size only occurs every ten years and presents a unique opportunity for science,” NASA said.
Source: Port Altele
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