A planetary parade in the sky late in January
Five planets plus the Moon in the sky: Rome, 31 Jan. 2016, at 05:30 UT.
Many people out there believe that you really need some powerful stuff as a big telescope to enjoy the wonders of the cosmos. But the sky shows this is absolutely not true!
Late this month, we will have a rare opportunity: all the five naked eye planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) will show at the same time up there! Even the Moon will share that cosmic highway, further enriching the view. Add the all this will happen above the Earth, so a total of six planets will be accessible at a glance!
The map above was made by Gianluca Masi using TheSkyX Pro, considering an observer in Rome on 31 Jan. 2016 at 06:30 local time. Of course, it is of general interest.
Needless to say, this show will be easy to enjoy by naked eye, but a binocular will make the experience even better. This planetary parade will not last forever, so find your time early in your morning to have a look within the first days of Feb. or so. The Moon will move night after night, making worth to check the show every morning.
This is a perfect situation where you can try to get a great set of images with a ordinary imaging device, as your personal camera with its native lens: give it a try and be happy with the results!
Support The Virtual Telescope Project!
Support us! Please, donate and receive an EXCLUSIVE image of the stunning COMET C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS and much more, specifically made for supporters like you!
(you can adjust the amount later)
