Seven planets will be visible together in UK skies on Friday – the last opportunity to view the phenomenon until 2040.
The event – known as a ‘planetary parade’ – will see all seven of the other planets in our solar system line up together just after sunset.
Planetary parades occur from time to time and most clear nights you can usually spot a planet.
But Friday’s parade is extremely rare because it will be possible to see all seven planets – with four or five expected to be visible to the naked eye.
Vice President of Manchester Astronomical Society Sonia Turkington said: “As long as you have a good horizon you can simply see the planets from your back garden. You just need to go out and simply ‘look up.'”
The best chance to view the event in its entirety will be in the first 30 minutes after sunset – 5:45pm according to the Met Office.
After that point Mercury and Saturn will set below the western horizon.
Turkington added: “They will be close to the sun, so wait until the sun sets, so you don’t damage your eyes.
“Venus is the brightest planet and is visible for a good couple of hours after sunset. It can be seen high above Mercury and Saturn in the west. If you have a telescope, you can see the crescent phase at the moment. When it’s a crescent phase is when the planet is at its brightest!
“As it starts to go dark you will see Jupiter, again a bright planet. If you have a telescope you can see its moons, IO, Callisto, Europa and Ganymede. Further left of Jupiter you have Mars, you can just about see the ‘reddish’ tint to it on a good viewing night. These are high above the rooftops for you to see!
“Neptune will need a telescope, whilst Uranus is possible to see with the naked eye but in a very dark site but also best with a telescope.”
Turkington recommends apps like Stellarium which use your mobile camera to tell you where the planets and stars are in the sky.
Keen stargazers may want to travel to sites like Werneth Low, Kinder Scout, the Pennines or Delamere Forest Park in Frodsham – where low levels of light pollution ensure good viewing conditions.
Likewise, the Manchester Astronomical Society – located in the Blackett Theatre on the main University of Manchester campus – meet on a Thursday evening at 7pm and have access to telescopes and a rooftop to enjoy the event.
Turkington said: “It’s always great to get people to look up at the skies, being an astronomer myself the wonders of the skies are fascinating to see.”
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