On Monday, the Moon, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Mars, and other celestial bodies moved in an arc across the night sky, some of which could be seen by the naked eye.
This is frequently called “a planetary procession” and was noticeable after nightfall in the west.
The best chance of spotting the alignment was when there was clear sky and a clear view of the horizon.
On Monday, the best location to see the planets was somewhere with a clear, unobstructed view and away from any bright city lights.
Mercury and Jupiter quickly vanished over the horizon, so you had to be watching early in the evening.
Because of the clear skies, the northern regions of Scotland and its islands offered some of the best views.
From Edinburgh’s Portobello Beach, Prof. Catherine Heymans, the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, observed the spectacle.
“Planet spotting with so many other planetary parade enthusiasts on a clear night was an absolute delight!” The BBC heard her say.
According to Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer Jake Foster, such alignments are extremely unique from our vantage point on Earth.
“The planets aren’t adjusted the present moment, they are completely fanned out across the Planetary group however according to our viewpoint, from time to time they draw near enough to one another overhead that we’re ready to see many on the double,” he said.
North Wales’ Anglesey has some of Europe’s darkest skies.
The first location in Europe to receive certification as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary is Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island), which is located off the Lln Peninsula.
Dani Robertson, the North Wales dark skies officer, said the evening had been a visual treat despite a light cloudy haze while speaking from Anglesey.
She stated, “I’m in my back garden and I can see a very nice little crescent Moon, to the top left.” “I can also see Mars, which has a lovely red glow, and a bit lower towards the horizon there’s a really bright light, and that’s Venus.”
“I could see everything if it were clearer; the only thing you wouldn’t be able to see is Uranus; you’d need a telescope to see it.”
Dan Pye from the Kielder Observatory said that seeing the planets align in Hexham, near the Scottish border, gave us a new perspective on our position in the solar system.
He stated: As the moon circles us, we move a little further around the sun, and the planets continue their journeys around the sun, the distance between these objects changes throughout the night.
“I think witnessing this makes you realize that we are connected to the cosmic ballet we are a part of with other objects in our very local space theater.”
According to Ms. Robertson, who is an amateur astronomer, 98% of people in the UK live in areas with polluted skies.
She stated, “It’s a shame because that’s our home galaxy, another part of being human that many people are being denied.”
“Things like Taurus, the Pleiades, and the Moon have remained the same throughout human existence when we look at the night sky.”
However, she stated that, in contrast to other kinds of pollution, this one could be fixed fairly easily and permanently.
“The problem is solved once we fix a light to make dark skies.”
