Beautiful pictures from our province on Thursday evening of the four planets Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars lined up next to each other. At least, that’s how it seems. The planets are actually miles apart. Amateur astronomer Victor van Wulfen knows how the planets can be seen so beautifully next to each other.
“We revolve around the sun with the Earth and the other planets do the same, all in a different orbit. The further away from the sun, the longer such a circle takes,” says Victor, who blogs about the galaxy on his own website.
For example, it takes the Earth one year to orbit the sun. Mars takes a year and a half, Jupiter eleven years and Saturn even thirty years.
“Provides beautiful pictures.”
“If the planets are on the other side of the sun compared to the Earth during the day, we cannot see them because there is too much light. On Thursday evening the planets are on the night side of the sun compared to the Earth, so we can see them. That produces beautiful pictures.”
For example, a photographer in Nuenen managed to take a photo through the clouds around half past six on Thursday.
In clear weather you can clearly see the details of some planets, according to Victor. “The planet Jupiter has the famous red spot and you can see Jupiter’s moons. Saturn has those beautiful rings.”
People with a telescope can enjoy themselves in the coming days, because there are even more planets to see.
“Neptune and Uranus also on the night side.”
“Neptune and Uranus will also be on the night side in the coming days, but they are so far away from the sun that they reflect little light towards the Earth. You can only see two small circles with a telescope.”
People with a telescope can enjoy as many as six planets other than Earth in a clear starry sky. “From left to right they are: Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars.”
