Just don’t call it a “planetary alignment”.

For the next month, Earthlings will be treated to a spectacular sight, with all five planets visible to the naked eye lining up together, stretching from the horizon to the moon. But just don’t call it a “planetary alignment”. For those in the southern hemisphere, if you look towards the north you should be able to see Mercury, then Venus, Saturn, Mars and finally Jupiter stretched out from the horizon, just before sunrise. Venus and Jupiter will be easy to see, being the brightest objects in the sky, according to Prof Fred Watson of the Australian Astronomical Observatory. Mars should also be easy to spot because of its distinctive red or golden colour. “Saturn is between Mars and Venus, so it’s lower down,”
Watson said. “It’s the one you’re most likely to confuse with stars because it’s not as bright as Jupiter.
But it’s yellowish. And with binoculars with about 10 times magnification you can tell it’s not a round dot of light like a star – it looks elongated.” Mercury could also be tricky to see because it will be close to the rising sun. Those in the northern hemisphere should look south just before sunrise.
 continue