5 planets line up in rare planetary conjunction

Five major planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in our solar system are lined up in a row for rare planetary conjunction visible to the naked eye. In a clear sky, the planets can be seen shining before dawn. It is a special opportunity to see Mercury, which is usually obscured from view by the Sun’s bright light.

According to the reports, the conjunction was brightest on Friday morning but will remain visible until Monday from most parts of the world. The last time this conjunction happened was 2004 and it won’t be seen again until 2040.

Space scientist and chief stargazer at the Society for Popular Astronomy Prof Lucie Green explained that the planets appear like a string of pearls spread out from close to the horizon. It is also a special event because the planets appear in the order they are positioned from the sun. That is not always the case for planetary conjunctions because of our perspective from Earth looking into the solar system.