On Wednesday morning, Aug. 28, people in Kazakhstan will be able to observe a fascinating astronomical phenomenon: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and the Waning Gibbous Moon will line up on one side of the Sun and become simultaneously visible in the sky, according to the Moscow Planetarium
The planets – Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn – can be observed between midnight and dawn. Mercury will appear in the morning sky by the end of the month, and on Aug. 28, the Moon in its waning gibbous phase will join them, positioned not very far from Mars (for spectaculars from the Earth).
Scientists say that Uranus and Neptune will only be visible through a telescope, while the other planets can be observed with the naked eye in clear weather. The alignment itself is considered figurative since the planets will be spread across a vast sector of the sky.
«There are no clear criteria for defining the ‘proximity’ of planets in astronomy. So, the term ‘planet alignment’ is of a qualitative nature,» claim the specialists of the Moscow Planetarium.
The next great planet alignment is expected on Feb. 28, 2025, when Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars will line up.
On August 19, people in several regions of the world could witness a unique astronomical phenomenon called the Sturgeon Moon.
