This is the ideal moment to search for planets that sparkle in the night sky if you enjoy doing so.
Several planets will march across the sky into the new year in what is known as a “planet parade,” which occurs when several planets appear in the night sky simultaneously.
Six planets—Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Venus—as well as three dwarf planets will be visible in the night sky during December and January, though not all of them will be visible to the unaided eye.
Only Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will be readily visible to the unaided eye, according to Jim Todd, director of space science education at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Large telescopes will be needed to view the other planets.
Six planets will participate in a “planet parade” from December 2024 to March 2025.OMSI/Jim Todd
Mercury will join the march beginning in March, extending the six-planet parade a bit after Saturn fades into the sunset in mid-February. According to Todd, Mercury is technically visible but exceedingly hard to notice because it hangs near to the horizon.
While Uranus will remain in the night sky until April and Jupiter will stay until the end of May, Mercury, Neptune, and Venus will all go in March. Mars will stay a lot longer, continuing to be a nightly presence until the beginning of August.
Planet parades, which occasionally feature false pictures of planets precisely aligned in a straight line across the sky, have gained popularity in the media. According to Todd, disparate computations and data interpretations may produce somewhat varied accounts of the planetary motions, which could cause misunderstandings regarding the specifics of the incidents.
Similar to a supermoon, a planet parade lacks a precise definition and is not a recognized scientific word. According to Todd, a procession of various sizes takes place almost annually. According to him, there could be two to eight planets in each occurrence.
Stargazing
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The spectacular Geminid meteor shower is back. In Oregon, seeing it is all about timing
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Jupiter is about to be at its brightest and closest point of the year
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A black moon is coming this month. What does it mean?
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Tonight s supermoon will be year s biggest and brightest. Here s where to see it in Oregon
–Jamie Hale co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast and writes about travel and the outdoors. You may contact him at [email protected], 503-294-4077, or HaleJamesB.
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