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Five Planets Visible Across Evening Sky

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Five Planets Visible Across Evening Sky
By MARCIA DUNN, AP


AP file
The five closest planets to Earth lined up in the sky in 2002.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (March 24) - Five planets are arrayed across the evening sky in a spectacular night show that won't be back for another three decades.

For the next two weeks, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - the five closest planets - should be easily visible at dusk, along with the moon.

'It's semi-unique,' said Myles Standish, an astronomer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. 'They're all on the same side of the sun and stretched across the sky and that's what is kind of pretty.'

Standish missed Monday evening's opportunity, but said Tuesday that he will gaze up when he walks his dog this week and next. He expects mountains and bright city lights to hamper his view, however.

The planetary lineup will be visible to the naked eye every night for an hour after sunset through early April. At the end of the year, the same five planets will reunite for a few weeks, but in the pre-dawn hours.

Standish said this particular planetary grouping may offer the best nighttime views until 2036.


The orbits of the five planets take them to the same side of the sun every few years or so. The conditions have to be just right for all five planets to be clearly visible at dusk or dawn; Mercury is often tough to catch. Even rarer are so-called alignments, where the planets are clustered together in the sky; this is not one of those.

Stargazers should look to the western horizon just after sunset. Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn will be lined up in the sky with Jupiter close to the eastern horizon. They will span about 135 degrees. Saturn will be almost directly overhead.

03-24-04 2028EST
"May the force be with you!"
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awesome!
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."
Qui-Gon Jinn (R.I.P.)
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astronomy rocks!
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."
Qui-Gon Jinn (R.I.P.)
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i am doing astro physics in my physics class
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I saw some of them last night i saw Venus,wich reminds me some type of poetry.

There was a man from Venus.
He had a big......
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Quote

Originally posted by: Shimraa
b d

Okay, what does that mean? You're the only person I've ever seen use it.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
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Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
kapgar.typepad.com
kapgar.com
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its a happy face with a two thumbs up
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i explained once what that is.
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."
Qui-Gon Jinn (R.I.P.)
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That's right. I remember now. Forgot the thumbs up. Thought you were abbreviating some message.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
-------------------------
Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
kapgar.typepad.com
kapgar.com
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Same here.

Princess Leia: I happen to like nice men.
Han Solo: I'm a nice man.

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who knows what shimmy is typing...
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."
Qui-Gon Jinn (R.I.P.)
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Quote

Originally posted by: motti_soL
who knows what shimmy is typing...

Not even Shimmy most of the time.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
-------------------------
Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
kapgar.typepad.com
kapgar.com