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The Alignment
The Solar System >
Years ago while camping, my friends and I would watch - in both amazement and horror - as Mothra-sized moths would flutter about the campfire in a bizarre mating ritual. What was a little disturbing was that their aerial acrobatics would eventually take them into the fire, to a sizzling, although ecstatic, death. This doesn’t say much for the intelligence of moths, but it is an analogy for what’s going in the sky this month.
THE MOON AND PLANETS ON APRIL 6TH WITHOUT ATMOSPHERE
TO BLEACH THE SKY. (THE "LEFT" SIDE IS THE EVENING SKY, THE "RIGHT" SIDE
IS THE DAWN SKY.)
Those of you who keep an eye on the planets as they wander through the
heavens month after month may have noticed some things.
In the early predawn skies, just before the Sun’s light blots out
the stars, bright Venus and dim, wee Mercury have been trading places
with each other, all the while getting closer and closer to the rising
Sun.
In the twilight evening skies, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn have been in
a months’ long dance marathon, waltzing closer and closer to each
other and to the setting sun.
Like cosmic, mating moths progressing toward The Great Flame, they have
all been shifting positions around each other, while at the same time
getting closer to the sun. The moth analogy falls short in that 1) the
planets are actually going around to the other side of the sun, not into
it, and 2) planets don’t mate.
What’s going on here?
They are all positioning themselves for the Great Alignment in May which
will be the planetary event of the year. All the naked eye visible planets
will be, more or less, in a line. What an awesome opportunity!
Well...sorta.
The downside to all this is that the Sun is at the front of the queue.
Alas, that big ball of life-giving energy will literally blind us from
all the hoopla. We won’t be able to experience what must be a beautiful
sight, what with all those planets bunched up so close you could cover
them with outstretched hands.
In fact, these are the last couple weeks to see them at all before their
big line-up.
Unfortunately the morning couple, Mercury and Venus, will be really tough
to observe for us in the northern hemisphere. Our tilt and their position
in the solar system will not allow good seeing.
But
as to the evening sky trio, this week is the most pleasing because it
will include our neighbor, the Moon. The young crescent will float by
them most closely on the 6th. In fact, all of them will be so well grouped
then that a good pair of binoculars might capture them all in the same
field of view. It may also be a good time for you to consider some simple
astrophotography considering that this will be a cosmic Kodak moment.
While observing them over the next fortnight, remember that Jupiter is
the brightest, Saturn a little dimmer, and tiny Mars is dimmest with a
hint of red. With this in mind you’ll see how they seem to slowly
frolic around each other and how complicated it must have been for early
astronomers to work out their orbits with none of those bad boys staying
still (especially us!).
Of course, I’ll have charts and movies to help you identify all these
planets at firstlightastro.com/icolumn.html. But JPL and NASA have a stunning
photo album which includes all these planets close-up and personal at
photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov.
Another image exhibition is at solarviews.com.
Go and be amazed!
More on the Alignment in my next couple of columns. Until next time, clear
skies!
Mark Ritter is a high school astronomy instructor and advisor for FirstLight
Astronomy Club. You can write him at ritter@firstlightastro.com.
>> Large image of Solar System
>> Planets in Motion: April (680K). Requires QuickTime.
Posted by Administrator at 2000.04. 2 09:43 AM | Comments (0)
