Astronomy is a science that helps us to know where we come from and to plan the future and all human activities. We are talking about the existence of planets and different celestial bodies in outer space. Today we are going to talk about planet alignment, since in these old there is a great importance about it. Nowadays, thanks to the advancement of science, the direction of planets has lost a large part of all its supernatural characteristics. As you might expect, this was full of myths and legends.
Therefore, in this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about planetary alignments and when they occur.
Solar system features
As an Pluto is no longer considered a planet, the solar system is made up of the Sun, eight planets, a planetoid and its satellites. Not only are these bodies, but there are also asteroids, comets, meteorites, dust, and interplanetary gas.
Until 1980 it was thought that our solar system was the only one in existence. However, some stars could be found relatively close and surrounded by an envelope of orbiting material. This material has an indeterminate size and is accompanied by other celestial objects such as brown or brown dwarfs. With this, scientists think that there must be numerous solar systems in the universe similar to ours.
Our solar system is located on the outskirts of the Milky Way. This galaxy is made up of many arms and we are in one of them. The arm where we are is called the Arm of Orion. The center of the Milky Way is about 30.000 light years away. Scientists suspect that the center of the galaxy is made up of a giant supermassive black hole.
Planet alignment
For all those who observe space, there are two ways to view planetary alignment. On the one hand, if we stand facing the sun, we could see all the planets in a single line. On the other hand, an alignment is the moment when all the planets follow a single line.
An alignment of planets seen from the sun is impossible to appreciate. This is due to the inclination of the planets. The most normal thing is that we see in textbooks that the planets are all in the same line with respect to the axis. However, this is not so. We can only see the planetary configuration in one quadrant. This happens only every 200 years, which is not very common.
Even though the planets don't really align, Many of them tend to be in the same region at specific times.The next planetary alignment will be in 2040 when Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars will do so, but as we can see, not all planets will participate.
The Truth About Planet Alignment
The reality of all this is that the planets do not align perfectly in a line As we often see in various stories about space and in textbooks, they are only found in the same region. The planets' orbits aren't perfect enough to cross each other; instead, they move in three-dimensional space. On the other hand, the fact that some planets are in the same region from our perspective doesn't mean they are also in the same region from the Sun.
We can say that the alignment of planets is something that depends on the place from where we are seeing it and not something that the planets have independently of the others. The closest that The planets will be in terms of nearby regions on May 6, 2492. Although it is really a phenomenon that will not affect our planet, it is interesting to see it since it is a very attractive visual phenomenon. If you can wait to see something of this style, it is best to wait until 2040.
We recently witnessed Jupiter and Saturn reunite in the sky. They were only 800 million kilometers apart, making them the largest planets in the entire solar system. This event hasn't happened since the Middle Ages. Every 20 years it usually produces what is known as the Great Conjunction. This is about the position of the earth being the culprit that the alignment between them is more or less perfect.
When does the next planetary alignment happen?
The next January 27, 2024, an amazing cosmic spectacle awaits us: the alignment of three bright planets in the morning sky. Venus, Mars and Mercury will align in the constellation of Sagittarius, offering a dazzling delight for lovers of astronomy.
The first to make its appearance will be Venus, rising about an hour before local sunrise. As the brightest object in the pre-dawn sky, it will not go unnoticed.
Mercury and Mars will then make their triumphant entrance. Mars will be easily distinguishable by its characteristic reddish hue, while Mercury will be close to this Martian warrior. As a surprising additional event, that same day, Mars and Mercury will have a close approach, with only 14.6 arc minutes separating them.
So, get your binoculars and telescope ready, or just your curious eyes, and join this wonderful cosmic experience. The upcoming alignment of Venus, Mars and Mercury will be an unforgettable event to admire and reflect on our location in the vast universe. Do not miss it!
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the alignment of planets and the real reality about it.
