It’s an intergalactic trio that doesn’t involve Uranus.
Did you think that the “double planet” of 2020 was impressive? This weekend, stellarists can watch Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn share the sky as part of an amazing “triple conjunction”
As a service to heavenly viewers, we have completed everything you need to know about this interstellar phenomenon.
What is “triple conjunction”?
A triple conjunction occurs when three planets line up in the sky, forming a celestial conga line.
During this year’s triplets, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn will appear 2 degrees apart in the constellation of Capricorn, Forbes reported.
NASA wrote that “from Friday night to Monday night, the planet Mercury will seem to pass [by] first Saturn and then Jupiter as it moves away from the horizon, visible every night down west-southwest and sits down before the end of dusk is over. “
How to see the show
The window for catching this cosmic assembly is short. EarthSky reports that the planetary trio will be visible at dusk, but will be left at dusk, so stellar viewers will ideally have to settle on an unobstructed horizon within 30 minutes before sunset.
Once at a suitable observation point, sky observers are advised to point down to the west-southwest horizon, according to NASA.
While binoculars are recommended, intergalactic hunters can witness the triple conjunction with the naked eye by first looking for Jupiter – the brightest of the three – then observing Saturn and Mercury.
When is the next triple conjunction?
After this weekend, the next time these three planets will line up will be just before Valentine’s Day, on February 13th.
In fact, this three-way peculiarity happens quite frequently by space standards, the most recent such interplanetary encounter taking place in 2015. By contrast, last month’s “Christmas star” marked the first Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in 1226.