A conjunction of planets has left most of us awestruck. The incident occurred in the early morning sky of March 27 and March 28. It’s not just the planets but also a comet that nears these planets on this morning. Also, the waning crescent Moon is seen near three planets. This has given rise to a series of conjunctions.
According to a report by EarthSky, three planets and the Moon fit within an 8-degree circle on the sky’s dome.
Here’s how three planets — Mars, Venus, and Saturn — aligned on this morning. Mars is four degrees north of the Moon at 3am UTC (8:30am IST) on March 28. Saturn, too, is at four degrees north of the Moon but this takes place at 12pm UTC (5:30pm IST) on March 28. Venus is seven degrees north of the moon at 10am UTC (3:30pm IST) on March 28. Venus changes position on March 29, when it will be two degrees north of Saturn at 1pm UTC (6:30pm IST).
Although the view is a stunner from anywhere on Earth, it’s especially true for regions lying in the Southern hemisphere. The view from Southern Hemisphere will be a striking one, as per reports. This is especially so because the path of the ecliptic rises at a steeper angle from the horizon. One can see Venus, Mars, and Saturn close to the Moon. Apart from this, one may even spot Jupiter just before sunrise.
Telescope users may also notice a faint comet, 22P/Kopff, that will be near the planets on this day. But this won’t be visible to naked eyes due to the rising sun.
Two years ago, Saturn and Jupiter were part of a “great conjunction” as it is called. The two largest planets of the solar system came close to each other on the winter solstice for those in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The planets, in reality, were more than 730 million kilometres (400 million miles) apart. But their alignment as seen from Earth made them seem to be closer.
