Watching Planets Move: focus on Mars and Jupiter

Jupiter, Mars and Moon on 6 March

I love watching planets move. So did the ancient Greeks and they named these wandering objects 'planetes' and to this day, the name stuck. The planets normally move in a graceful arc across our night sky, slipping from one Zodiac constellation to the next, bringing a change in composition to the tapestry of the night sky, modifying the normal patterns of the constellations. And showing us just how extraordinary our Solar System really is, a collection of planets orbiting a star alongside us on Earth, and creating a window into the universe of how systems emerge around our galaxy and the universe. 

Right now, Mars and Jupiter are extremely well placed in the night sky. They both are occupying the 'Winter Hexagon' which is a rich span of winter sky that includes many of the brightest stars in the night sky. At the moment, Mars and Jupiter are nicely bookending the circle of stars in the hexagon, Mars on the east side of the circle and Jupiter on the west side. Both planets are moving gradually eastward and the pattern we see now will change over the coming weeks. In particular, Mars will form very interesting patterns with the twin starts of Gemini, something you can watch and enjoy from night to night. 

My latest podcast for the Volkssternwarte München in the Translunar series features this alignment and part of the night sky. Give it a listen on a night when you have clear skies and you will make discoveries on your own. 

Image courtesy of SkySafari. 

The Real Planetary Parade

I love to see planets in our night sky. They are wonderful. They are wanderers. In motion, always gently sweeping across the sky, often the brightest objects in the sky and certainly some of the most colorful and interesting, both to the naked eye and in a telescope. I've recorded a podcast for the Translunar series to share some ideas of what you can see right now and for the next few months, with a Mars challenge built in.

And for those of you looking for a big “Planetary Parade” on January 25th, well, I am sorry to say, January 25th will look a lot like January 24th, and 26th, and the 27th, and so on. It’s just hype and to be honest, I think it is just something someone created to drive clicks to their website. But don’t be disappointed: the reality behind the hype is that there really are lovely planets spread across the night sky and there are wonderful things to see and enjoy for the coming weeks and months. Have a listen to my podcast and you will get a clear and thoughtful explanation of the planets, what to see, and what to look for night after night.