At around 5 a.m. today, six planets — Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Uranus and Neptune — seemingly forming a parade could be viewed, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) chief of Astronomy section Mario Raymundo.
The “parade of planets” or alignment of planets is a normal phenomenon that the public could enjoy, he said. Four could be seen through the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune would require the use of binoculars.
“It’s a normal phenomenon. Some people are talking about it on social media, saying there could be an event as the planets would align. But, no, it’s just normal and it happens every year,” Raymundo told the Philippine News Agency.
The alignment of the six planets is actually throughout August, he added.
The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter can be seen at 5 a.m. on Aug. 12.
The optimal view of Mercury is on Aug. 20 at around 5 a.m., because Mercury orbits fast.
Technically, Raymundo said it’s called a conjuction when two or three planets are near each other. In astronomy, the terms “planet alignment” and “parade of planets” are both considered.
“This phenomenon does’t create any effect or impact on the earth, the weather, even on the length of day and night,” he clarified.
“It’s just good to see, especially for people who are into planetary photography. The alignment can’t be seen at night. It can be best viewed at 5 a.m., and not at 5:30 as the sun is about to rise by that time,” Raymundo added.
Raymundo, an astronomer, explained that the planets don’t move to gather or align.
“It’s just a perspective. Because the earth rotates, then there are times that we could view the other side. The view would be depend on the rotation of the earth,” he explained.
Conjunction is classified as mini (3 planets), small (4 planets), large (6 planets) and great (7 or more planets), Raymundo said.
Next year, the public could expect a large conjunction in February and a small conjunction in April, he said.
