The parade of planets on January 21, 2025: at what time and where to watch
The first month of 2025 will please stargazing enthusiasts with a rare event - a big parade of planets. On Tuesday, January 21, six "neighbors" of the Earth in the solar system will line up in the night sky. On how to observe this phenomenon and in what cities in Russia it will be visible, read in the material "Izvestia".
What is the parade of planets
Parade of planets - is the unofficial name of the astronomical phenomenon, during which three or more objects of our stellar system are lined up in a row on the same side of the Sun. As a rule, it is found in media publications, social networks and works of fiction. The scientific community uses the term "planetary alignment" to describe this event.
In electronic and printed sources, you can find many illustrations of the parade of planets, the participants of which are arranged in a perfectly straight line. However, in reality everything is somewhat different. When observed from Earth, the space objects will be scattered along the ecliptic, the part of the celestial sphere along which the Sun's visible annual path passes. The closer the planets are to each other, the clearer the line of alignment.
Astronomers also distinguish visible and invisible parades of planets. In the first case, a chain of celestial bodies can be seen even with the naked eye, and in the second - it is not visible from Earth because of the proximity of objects to the Sun.
What planets can be seen at the parade of planets on January 21
Alignments are conditionally divided into several categories, depending on the number of participating planets. The convergence of three celestial bodies is called a mini-alignment, four - a small alignment, five or six - a large alignment. If seven planets line up in a row, there is reason to talk about a great, or full, alignment.
On January 21, the inhabitants of the Earth will be able to observe a great alignment. Six planets will rise above the horizon simultaneously: Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. To observe the first four objects will be enough clear sky and the absence of city lights. But to see Neptune and Uranus you will need to "arm" your eyes with powerful binoculars or an amateur telescope.
Parade of planets in January 2025: what time it will be, when it ends
The parade of the planets - quite a long time event. Celestial bodies approach within a few days and just as gradually diverge. Therefore, January 21 is a conditional date, after which the phenomenon can be observed from most points of the world. So, in Moscow alignment is visible from January 19, but for residents of New York the optimal moment to admire the big parade will come only on January 22.
Astronomers note that you can look for planets in the starry sky an hour after sunset. Optimal for most regions of Russia time of observation will be 19:00 - by this time the luminary will already be hidden behind the horizon, and night celestial objects will have time to rise in the sky. In clear weather planets will be clearly visible until the morning. For observations experts advise to choose places away from bright light sources and in the open space.
Where the parade of planets will be visible on January 21, 2025
January's parade of planets will be clearly visible in the entire Northern Hemisphere, so residents of all regions of Russia will be able to enjoy the unique spectacle. Under favorable weather conditions, the alignment will be possible to see in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Yakutsk, Vladivostok and other cities.
Earlier "Izvestia" told about the peculiarities of observing the December Ursida meteor stream.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
