Thursday, June 3, 2010

PLANET TRIPLE PLAY

Saturn, Mars and Venus appear together

SPACE.comIf you live in the northern hemisphere, go out any night this week an hour or so after sunset and look at the western sky to catch a planetary triple play starring Venus, Saturn and Mars.

The first thing skywatchers will see — weather permitting — is the brilliant planet Venus slightly north of west, in the constellation Gemini... Look for Gemini's twin first magnitude stars, Pollux and Castor, just above Venus.

As the sky gets darker, the planet Mars can be spotted to Venus' left as it appears in the constellation Leo very close to the bright, first magnitude star Regulus... Further still to the left will be Saturn shining in the western part of the constellation Virgo.

The three should be visible for a few months as they get both further and closer to earth's orbit...a good pair of binoculars will be more helpful then than now as the planets will appear to be closer together...

2 comments:

Julie Hibbard said...

Binoculars? Really?? you don't need a telescope? I will definitely go take a look...
I LOVE the stars! There is something so very peaceful about being part of them!!

PETE Di LALLO said...

good question Julie...
With low powered binoculars you'll be able to see the three planets at one time in the same field of vision, but only in a few months when they appear to get closer together...
a telescope will be good for looking at the rings of Saturn...