Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn to create a straight line visible from Earth

• Image Credit: Internet

• Apr 27, 2022 | Pratiksha

Speaking to ANI, Subhendu Pattnaik said, "During the last week of April 2022, a rare and unique planet alignment will occur, which is popularly known as 'planet parade'' Although there is no scientific definition for 'planet parade',

Digital Desk: According to Subhendu Pattnaik, Deputy Director, Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Bhubaneswar, a rare and unique astronomical event will take place during the last week of April when four planets including Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will align in a straight line in the eastern sky for around one hour before sunrise.

Speaking to ANI, Subhendu Pattnaik said, "During the last week of April 2022, a rare and unique planet alignment will occur, which is popularly known as 'planet parade'' Although there is no scientific definition for 'planet parade', it is being widely used in astronomy to denote an event that takes place when planets of the solar system line up in a row in the same area of the sky."

Pattnaik went on to describe the three most typical sorts of 'planet parade.' The first type of planet parade, according to him, occurs when planets line up on one side of the Sun as seen from above the plane of our solar system. Three planets aligning on one side of the Sun is fairly common and may be observed for several days each year.

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Similarly, the alignment of four planets happens once a year, whereas the alignment of five planets happens every nineteen years. The alignment of all eight planets happens around once every 170 years.

"Secondly, when some planets appear in a small sector of the sky at the same time regardless of their visibility conditions, from Earth's point of view we term the event also as a planet parade. A planet parade of this type last happened on April 18, 2002 and July 2020 when all planets of the Solar system that are visible to the naked eye lined up in a row in the evening sky," said Pattnaik.

He stated that the third sort of planet parade occurs on rare occasions when the conditions are favourable for observing all or part of the planets. These activities are often known as planet parades. Several times a year, three planets can be seen in the same section of the sky at the same moment.

"A rare and unusual planet parade will take place in the last week of April 2022, when Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will line up in the eastern sky roughly one hour before sunrise. This will be a planet parade of the third sort, as previously mentioned. The last such parade of these planets took place roughly 1,000 years ago, in 947 AD" Pattnaik said.

"One hour before sunrise on April 26 and 27, the moon along with four planets will be visible within 30 degrees from the eastern horizon in a near-perfect straight line. If the conditions are right, one can see Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn in a line without the need for binoculars or telescopes. On April 30, the brightest planets - Venus and Jupiter - can be seen very close together. Venus will be 0.2 degrees south of Jupiter," he added.