A rare and spectacular cosmic display of the three brightest planets aligned together will be visible from the Earth starting May 24 to 30, 2013.
Sky-gazers are in for a treat again as the three neighboring planets of our Earth perform what is called the "Dance of the Planets." Jupiter, Venus and Mercury will be aligned together in the same field of view as they move positions within a 5-degree circle starting Friday. Each day about 30 to 45 minutes after sunset, these planets will perform the "dance." They will appear the closest within a 2.5-degree circle on Sunday, May 26. All the three planets will be visible to the naked eye, but a binocular can enhance the viewing pleasure. Once the 6-day celestial treat is passed, the trio will not appear this close for the next 13 years, according to experts.
Venus and Jupiter are the brightest planets seen from the Earth and often visible in the night sky, but Mercury is rarely visible to the naked eye due to its immediacy to the sun.
"Here's a beautiful chance to see three planets all together," Alan MacRobert, a senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine, said in a statement. "Add the Earth under your feet, and you're seeing half of the solar system's planets at once. They'll be a lovely part of the spring twilight."
"The view should be best about 30 to 45 minutes after sunset," MacRobert added. "And think photo opportunity. Set up a camera on a tripod, zoom to the max, and try different time exposures."
After the closest appearance of the trio, Jupiter and Venus will be seen next to each other before Jupiter starts descending lower in the sky and vanishes completely in early June. As the Jupiter fades out of sight, Mercury mounts up above Venus to form the best apparition of the year. Sky watchers can admire the best evening apparition of Mercury.
Despite the three planets appearing so close to each other and to Earth, each planet will be millions of miles away. Mercury will be about 105 million miles away from Earth. Similarly, Venus and Jupiter will be 150 million miles and 565 million miles away from Earth respectively, according to the Sky & Telescope officials.
The month of May also offers another spectacular view for the sky-gazers across America and Africa, provided the skies are clear. On Saturday, May 25, a penumbral lunar eclipse will appear where the moon passes through the penumbra, the outer part of the Earth's shadow.
