Cosmic sky4/16/2023 To find the planets, start at the bright star Altair (in the constellation of Aquila the eagle) and follow a line straight down to a cluster of three bright objects near the horizon. (These are three of the five planets, together with Jupiter and Mercury, that humans can see with the naked eye.)įor best viewing, locate a dark sky spot near you and pick a vantage point with few obstructions along the southeast horizon. Look to the southeastern horizon just before the sun rises in late March through early April, and you might spot this tri-planetary tango: Venus, Mars and Saturn will cluster unusually close together. While the stars appear relatively stationary from Earth, our solar system’s planets appear to dance around the night sky throughout the year. March 24 to April 5: A Planetary TrioĪ photographer captured this wide-angled view of Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and the star Vesta while looking south in Skull Valley, Utah, around 1 a.m. To help you set your calendar, we’ve rounded up the ten most significant celestial events that viewers in North America can hope to glimpse in the new year. And amateur stargazers can also view a host of meteor showers and lunar events with nothing more than a pair of binoculars, good weather and a patch of unpolluted night sky. With any luck, another comet might become visible as it cruises through our solar system in 2022. Earthbound spectators witnessed a spectacular “ ring of fire” solar eclipse, enjoyed exceptionally dark skies for the annual Perseid meteor shower and were treated to a surprise comet “ Leonard” that streaked through the December sky. Despite another chaotic year on planet Earth, 2021 was a great time for amateur astronomers.
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