Despite what we can read on social networks, this supposed alignment of all the planets in our solar system on the same day is… false! In fact, nothing special is going to happen on January 25, 2025.
On the other hand, it is true that the night sky during the month of January is particularly beautiful and conducive to observing the planets. Let’s try to see a little more clearly in the darkness of the night.
What can we really see?
In January, a few hours after sunset, we can observe with the naked eye four planets: Venus and Saturn in the southwest, Jupiter shining brightly in the sky to the east, accompanied by Mars surrounded by a orange halo. These four planets are visible and more or less aligned every day, nothing exceptional about that, and their alignment rather resembles a zig-zag. To see Uranus, you need to bring binoculars and a detailed map of the sky, because the planet shines little and is rather difficult to identify. For Neptune, a telescope is necessary. In January, Mercury only appears in the morning near the sun and is therefore not visible at night. Furthermore, these three planets are never aligned with the other four.
An imaginary line
What we can try to observe is the position of these planets along an imaginary line which is in reality the path of the sun in the sky. We can also say that this line is the plane of the solar system. This can be observed every day.
A month conducive to observation
-This month of January offers us ideal skies for several reasons: first of all, the orbits of Venus and Saturn came closer and then crossed (within a few hundred miles) around January 17-18. The two planets may have appeared very close to us, but then their trajectories moved away again in opposite directions. Another good reason: January is particularly favorable for observing Mars. Every 26 months or so, Earth catches up to Mars’ orbit and it’s happening this month. So the two planets are close, even though about 59 million miles (95 million kilometers) separate them. Mars is thus bright and visible to the naked eye. The next time this phenomenon will occur again will be in March 2027. January is therefore a very good month for the planets, especially since Saturn will be less visible in February.
Alignment, myth or reality?
All the planets in the solar system will never be aligned in a line. Never ? Researchers have calculated that this could happen once every 396 billion years! Knowing the age of the blue planet (4.5 billion years) and knowing that the sun will go out in around five billion years, it is more than likely that this alignment that all the networks are talking about will not happen. has never happened and will never happen, and certainly not in our lifetime.
Best Places to Observe Planets in Florida
Dans le Sunshine State, voici une liste non exhaustive des meilleurs endroits pour observer les planètes : MiamiZoo, Frost Museum of Science et Bill Sadowski Park & Nature Center (Miami); Everglades National Park (Homestead); Buehler Planetarium and Observatory (Davie); Fox Observation at Markham Park (Sunrise); The Old Trail (Miami-Dade); South Florida Museum de Bradenton et Museum of Science & Industry de Tampa (côte ouest); Museum of Science and History (Jacksonville); Challenger Learning Center (Tallahassee); Orlando Science Center et Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park (région Centre); Big Pine Key et Cedar Key (Florida Keys).
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