This January, a spectacular astronomical event will light up the sky: a rare "planetary parade," observable until mid-February. Six planets will align, offering a breathtaking celestial spectacle. While Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope will be necessary to spot Uranus and Neptune.
According to Dhara Patel of the National Space Centre in Leicester, a planetary parade is a phenomenon where several planets appear roughly aligned in the sky. "The term 'planetary parade' is often associated with planets aligned in the sky, or in space. When we see NASA images or textbook illustrations, they are often drawn side by side. When we talk about a planetary parade as something that can be observed, it means that the planets appear like this, roughly aligned in the sky," she explains.
A rare but fascinating phenomenon
Although minor planetary displays occur regularly, a six-planet alignment is quite rare. On average, this phenomenon occurs only once every 20 years.
Minor planetary alignments, involving only two or three planets, are relatively frequent and occur every few months, especially among inner planets like Venus and Mars. However, for gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, alignment takes decades.
In the United States, Hannah Sparkes, curator at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, explains: "Minor planetary alignments, involving two or three planets, are frequent, especially among the inner planets. But if we look at the gas giants, which are very distant, have larger orbits and move somewhat more slowly, these alignments occur with a frequency of a few decades, but persist over a long period of time."
She continues: "Thus, approximately every 20 years, we have an alignment between Jupiter and Saturn, which persists for several decades. The frequency of these alignments of 4 to 6 planets depends on where one is in the cycle."
When can you watch this show?
To fully enjoy this exceptional phenomenon, simply look up on January 19th and 20th, between 7pm and 8:30pm, weather permitting.
The advantage of this event is that it will be visible even in urban areas, thanks to the exceptional brightness of the planets.
