The parade of planets is the phenomenon at which planets of the Solar system are built quite closely to each other, in one sector, sometimes almost on one line, and in a firmament are located a row too. There are different types of parades: mini-parades, small and big. The first are observed nearly an every year, others are much more rare.
What is a parade of planets?
The solar system contains eight planets, the most part of time they hold various positions concerning the Sun and each other and are scattered on the sky in different places. Some of them are not visible with the naked eye, others can be observed easily. From time to time their provisions in orbits are built in such a way that they appear on one side from the Sun, approximately in one sector of a firmament. Sometimes they form almost a straight line, sometimes closer objects close far, this phenomenon reminds an eclipse of the Sun or the Moon.
The perfect parade of planets has to be visible as absolutely a straight line, but such event is almost improbable because orbits have the elliptic form, and the speed of planets differs.
Astronomers distinguish big and small parades. Big consist of six planets – Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Uranium, and Earth takes in it too part as it also is in the same party from the Sun, approximately on one line with these planets. It occurs every twenty years. Earth does not participate in a small parade any more, it consists of Venus, Mars, Mercury and Saturn, is visible very often – time, and sometimes and two times a year.
Mini-parades consist at least of three planets appearing at small distance from each other.
Also there are visible and invisible parades of planets. At the first five brightest planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury and Saturn) pass close each other in a firmament and are visible as a congestion of stars in one site of the sky. They occur approximately every twenty years. Full parades in which all planets of the Solar system participate are invisible as a part of the most close located participants are not visible with the naked eye.
When to observe parades of planets?
It is the best of all to observe big parades of planets in the evening or in the morning, and mini-parades can be visible to night at any time. The most remarkable similar event will take place in 2022 – in the sky approximately on one a little curved line Mercury, Venus, Uranium, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will stand in the row. The Neptune will be in the same sector too, but this planet is not visible with the naked eye. The next full parade will take place only in 170 years. Small and mini-parades of planets take place often that to observe them, it is necessary to monitor the calendar of the star sky and to consider that from various points of Earth they are visible differently, sometimes it is impossible to observe this show as planets appear in a firmament along with the Sun.