After the recent six planet alignment, sky gazers are now in for another treat in late February when a seventh planet, Mercury will join the others, creating a unique alignment of seven planets in the sky.
But have you ever thought about what planetary alignment actually means?
When we talk about planetary alignment, it’s a common misconception to think that the planets line up in a perfect straight line in space.
Instead, it refers to a celestial event where multiple planets appear close to each other in the sky from Earth’s viewpoint. This event is called a “conjunction,” as per Astronomy.com.
As per the outlet, Mars and Venus might seem close in the sky, but in reality they could be millions of miles apart in space.
Because the planets move around the Sun at different speeds and distances, their position in the night sky constantly change relation to each other.
Jupiter takes about 12 years to orbit the Sun and Mars takes only about two years, their positions in the sky will sometimes align and appear close together.
The historical significance of planetary alignments:
Throughout history, planetary alignments have been considered very important by various civilization.
Ancient cultures often linked these celestial events with predictions, signs or major events on Earth.
During the Renaissance in Europe, the sight of multiple planets in the night sky was viewed from two perspectives as a subject of scientific exploration and as a sign of divine meaning.
