Celestial alignment on the weekend sky offers spectacular view

The celestial alignment taking place during the weekend had a range of beliefs associated with it. However, experts confirmed that the majority of those beliefs are nothing more than myths. Assembling of three bright planets and a gorgeous crescent moon were part of the amazing view in the predawn sky during this weekend.

The three planets in the gathering were Jupiter, Mars and Venus and they were joined by an attractive crescent moon. This incredible gathering was visible quite clearly in the southeast sky.

A common myth associated with such planetary alignment is increased possibility of destruction and natural calamities like earthquakes, which according to experts is nothing but a myth. In contrast to what common belief suggests, these alignments have no significance for anyone besides the astronomers and experts working on space science.

Such alignments are also not as rare as they are thought to be; statistics reveal that on average, alignments which can be viewed with naked eyes and include five planets arranged within a 25° circle (or a circle smaller than that) occur once in every 57 years.

The trio of the crescent moon, Venus and Mars was visible as a relatively small spot in the sky this Saturday. The predawn sky on Saturday saw the moon appearing less than 2° on Venus’ right. Above moon and Venus, there was Mars. Venus, however, was the brightest among the three celestial bodies. Jupiter, on the other hand, could only be seen in the south-eastern sky. It was located just above the moon, slightly towards the left.

The celestial show taking place during the weekend began on Nov. 6. It’s true that we often see different configurations and conjunctions involving our natural satellite moon and other planets in our solar system. However, gathering of the moon and three or more bright planets in a particular small vicinity of the sky is something very unusual.

Here, it must be mentioned that the moon and all the planets visible to the naked eye follow an imaginary celestial line referred to as the ecliptic. This imaginary line also happens to be the visible path which the sun seems to be taking on the sky because of our planet’s revolution around it.

About the author

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Erin Roberts

Erin earned a B.S. in Economics and an MBA with a focus on analytics. She has 9 years of experience in business journalism and research, covering earnings, labor trends, venture funding, and consumer behavior. Her specialties include data visualization and plain language explainers on complex filings. She was shortlisted for a SABEW award for a series on small business resilience. Erin roasts her own coffee and hikes local trails on weekends. She runs the business desk, edits market roundups, and coordinates data driven features with our graphics team.

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