What to know about January’s ‘Parade of Planets’
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A good bit of talk has come up in recent weeks about an astronomical event — the Parade of Planets — that is supposed to occur this weekend, wherein multiple planets will align and become visible from Earth.
This is both true and a tad misleading, according to NASA. Here’s what to know:
What to know about the ‘Parade of Planets’
One may think, based on the description of the Parade of Planets on social media, that we will be able to see all of the planets up close in a line from Earth on the evening of Jan. 25.
Let’s clear the air here, with some input from NASA. Yes, planets will be aligned, but that is a normal occurrence. And yes, some planets will be visible to the naked eye, but not just on Jan. 25.
Here’s what to know:
- Four planets — Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars — can be seen with the naked eye in the first few hours after dark.
- Uranus and Neptune will be visible with use of binoculars or telescopes.
- Venus and Saturn will be visible in the southwest during the first couple of hours after dark.
- Jupiter will then appear overhead while Mars will rise in the east.
- These planets can be viewed throughout the rest of the month.
“These multi-planet viewing opportunities aren’t super rare, but they don’t happen every year, so it’s worth checking it out.”
Preston Dyches, NASA spokesperson
Best spots for stargazing
The best spots in Alabama to star gaze are obviously away from big cities. In fact, according to Go-Astronomy.com, some of the best spots include:
- Cheaha Mountain State Prk
- Chattahoochie State Park
- Monte Sano State Park
- Moundville State Park
- Oak Mountain State Prk
- Geneva State Forest
- Paul Grist State Park
- Little River State Forest
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