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ButlerianJihadtoday at 5:09 AM1 replyview on HN

Aligned with what, exactly?

It is true that 6 planets have found themselves on the night-side: excluding Venus (currently an "Evening Star"); with Pluto setting just before Mercury and Jupiter rise.

But the chances of seeing them all aren't great; Jupiter's only about 10° away from the Sun as it rises. Uranus and Neptune, as always, are far too dim to see without a good telescope.

But they are not aligned with one another, and not particularly aligned with anything in the sky. 6 planets on the night-side is not a rare occurrence by any means.

It is just the stupidity of social media clickbait that promotes these "Planetary Parades" as something exciting. Just go see planets. There are plenty of opportunities. Sometimes they are even in conjunction with one another. Now is not one of those times.


Replies

lloekitoday at 7:38 AM

> Aligned with what, exactly?

The ecliptic plane? Which all planets are aligned onto so people take a ruler put and are like "OMG planets align" when they end up in the same rough patch of the sky.