Three-planet race
Big solar show after sunset
By DAVID SCHMEICHEL, STAFF REPORTER

Keep your eyes on the skies this weekend, when a rare triple-planetary alignment promises a stellar show for star-gazers.

Scott Young of the Manitoba Museum Planetarium says the planets in question — Mercury, Venus and Saturn — are all big enough to be seen without a telescope.

When aligned, the planets will fit into a piece of sky the same size as a full moon.

“What we’re seeing is the clockwork of the solar system,” Young said.

“As the planets orbit (the sun) at different speeds, they will sometimes catch up and pass each other, just like cars on a racetrack. We are seeing a time when three planets just happen to be in the same direction from the Earth at the same time.”

To catch the show, go outside after sunset today and find a spot with a clear view of the western horizon, Young said.

As the sky darkens, Venus will be the first astral body to emerge, as it’s the brightest object in the heavens after the sun and moon. Mercury and Saturn will show themselves soon afterward — both being about as bright as the other, and shining with a pale, yellowish light.

Young describes Mercury as an “elusive planet,” noting most people, astrologers included, have never seen it.

“It is always very close to the sun in our sky, making it difficult to see in the haze near the horizon,” he said. “It is much easier with a bright signpost like Venus to guide our eye.”

Deceiving

And while star-gazers will be able to obscure all three planets simply by holding their outstretched thumb to the sky, Young reminds them appearances can be deceiving.

“In reality, the planets are millions of kilometres apart,” he said. “They only appear close in the sky because of our perspective. Saturn is actually over a billion kilometres behind Mercury.”

- On the web: www.manitobamuseum.ca

Posted on June 25th, 2005 by John
Filed under: Read It