Rare Dance of the Planets in late May

There is to be a rare celestial choreography in the night sky from May 24 until the end of the month involving three of Earth’s neighbours in the Solar System.

Mercury, Jupiter and Venus will all be aligned in the same field of vision, each seeming to spin and move around the others in a phenomenon known as the Dance of the Planets. It’s also a good chance to see three planets in the same field of view, and the last time they will be in such a tight grouping until 2026, according to Sky and Telescope magazine.

The ‘dance’ will take place in the west-northwest sky just after sunset and should be visible to the naked eye, although binoculars will enhance the viewing experience.

From May 24 to 30 all three planets will be within a 5-degree circle, which narrows to a 2.5 degree circle on May 26. But although the dance partners may appear close to each other, they will in reality be distanced by hundreds of millions of miles.



http://www.euronews.com/2013/05/22/web-dance-of-the-planets-venus-mercury-jupiter/