Moon alignment February 2022 LIVE – Best views of Mars, Mercury, and Venus during next full moon TONIGHT

All about Venus

Venus is one of our closest neighbors in the solar system, but it’s very unlike Earth.

You’d be instantly killed if you ever set foot on the planet, in part because the average surface temperature is a truly horrifying 867F.

Alongside a cloud layer of sulphuric acid, it’s about as hellish as you can imagine.

How far is Mercury from the Sun?

The average distance between Mercury and the Sun is 3 million miles, but the distance does depend on where Mercury is in its orbit.

Mercury has an egg shaped orbit and can get as close as 29million miles to the Sun.

Its maximum distance away from the solar surface is 43 million miles.

How many moons does Mercury have?

The planet Mercury actually has no moons, and the only other planet in our Solar System without moons is Venus.

Earth has one, Mars has two, and Saturn could have an amazing number of moon – 82.

All about Mercury

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and one of Earth’s closest neighbors in the solar system.

Mercury and Earth are both terrestrial planets with land and rock, but they have far more differences than similarities.

How many moons does Mars have?

Mars has just two moons, Phobos and Deimos.

Mars is the second most habitable planet in our Solar System, after Earth.

Has anyone ever been to Mars?

No human has ever set foot on Mars, but the Soviets first started sending unmanned space probes to Mars back in the 1960s.

The first successful space probe to orbit Mars was Nasa’s Mariner 4, which happened in 1965.

Then, Soviet probes landed on the Red Planet’s surface in 1971.

Since then, several spacecraft have been sent to explore Mars, but no human beings.

Nasa once revealed the aim of putting a person on Mars by 2037.

How far is Mars from Earth?

The distance between Mars and Earth depends on where the planets are in their orbits of the Sun.

Mars, also known as the Red Planet, should be around 33.9million miles (54.6m kilometers) away from Earth at its closest.

And at its furthest, Mars is 250million miles away from our planet.

Plus, Mars is around 141.6million miles (227.9m kilometers) away from the Sun.

How to see a planet rise

Because the times for planet rises differ depending on location, it’s good to use an astronomy website to get information specific for you if you want to see Venus and Mars this weekend.

Try Timeanddate.com, In the Sky, or the Sky Live app to find out how to view them where you are.

Shining a light

Stars generate their own light, but planets do not.

Planets shine by reflecting a portion of the sunlight they receive back into space.

The brightness of the planet depends on its distance from the sun, the size of the planet, and the position of the planet and Earth.

Watch for Mars

If you’re trying to see Mars in alignment this weekend, keep in mind it might be harder to spot.

Saturn and Mars are commonly mistaken for stars during their dimmer periods, according to Naked Eye Planets.

Experts suggest people use binoculars to help them see the red planet.

Planets you can’t see

Neptune and Uranus are not visible to the naked eye from Earth.

However, stargazers can see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn without equipment for much of the year.

Planets you can see with the naked eye

People on Earth can spot five of the eight planets in our Solar System with the naked eye.

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are all visible at various times of the year.

How many planets have been discovered?

There are thought to be 4,108 exoplanets identified in and beyond our solar system.

Nasa tweeted in January 2021: “We’ve discovered 4,108 exoplanets – planets beyond our solar system – so far.”

“Most of these worlds orbit other stars, but not all. ‘Rogue planets’ are bound to no star as they move through space in darkness.”

Few of those planets have been considered as potentials for supporting life forms.

The full set

A 14 percent lit waning crescent Moon will align with Venus and Mars on February 27.

Forbes pointed out that this is “the full set of closest planets and moons to Earth!”

Order of the planets, continued

When it comes to our social system’s planets, the last four are massive compared to the four inner planets, and are made of gasses like hydrogen, helium, and nitrogen.

Jupiter and Saturn are often called the Gas Giants, while Uranus and Neptune are called the Ice Giants.

It is thought they probably all have solid cores.

Order of the planets

The planets in our solar system are usually ordered by their distance from the Sun, with Mercury being the closest.

Half of the eight planets are known as the terrestrial, or inner, planets – with Mercury being closest to the Sun, followed by Venus, Earth, and then Mars.

The other half are the Jovian, or Jupiter-like planets. In order of distance from the Sun, these are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Is there a ninth planet?

Pluto was once called the ninth planet in our solar system, but the International Astronomical Union made some category changes in 2006 and Pluto became a minor, or dwarf, planet.

The main reason for this decision is that Pluto’s wild-card orbit crosses the orbit of Neptune.

However, the idea of a ninth planet has persisted, and astronomers are now searching for Planet X, or Planet Nine, after mathematical evidence from 2016.

Planet Nine is thought to be five thousand times the mass of Pluto and 10 times the mass of Earth, and to orbit beyond Neptune.

How many planets are there?

There are actually a minimum of 100 billion planets in our universe, according to a Nasa study.

As far as our solar system, there are eight planets in it.

Our solar system, which is part of the Milky Way, also includes Pluto, which was once called the ninth planet in our solar system.

But the International Astronomical Union made some category changes in 2006 and Pluto became a minor, or dwarf, planet.

Mars might be tricky

Mars, which rises about 90 minutes before the sun in February, will likely appear as a tiny speck of light when stargazers try to spot it with Venus and the Moon during the alignment.

Experts suggest people use binoculars to help them spot the red planet more easily.

Venus shines bright

Of the two planets aligning with the moon this Saturday, Venus will be the brightest.

In February, especially, Venus is at its brightest as its crescent thickens from 16 percent sunlit to 38 percent.

How to see them all

The crescent moon will be aligned with Venus and Mars, the two closest planets to Earth, on February 27, and Mercury and Saturn should also be visible on February 28, according to Space.com.

To see the Moon, Mars, and Venus align, stargazers will need to get up at least an hour before sunrise (6:34 am EST).

Experts also suggest waiting about 30 minutes after dawn as some lucky skywatchers might also get to see Saturn and Mercury become visible to the lower-left of the trio.

Degrees of separation

The Moon be 14 percent lit in a waning crescent as it’s joined by the full set of Earth’s closest neighboring planets in a rare alignment.

Venus will be able about 4 degrees away from Mars, which will be around 3.5 degrees above the Moon.

When to watch

The crescent moon will be aligned with Venus and Mars, the two closest planets to Earth, on February 27.

Mercury and Saturn should also be visible on February 28, according to Space.com.

Anyone who wants to see the Moon, Mars, and Venus align will need to get up at least an hour before sunrise (6:34 am EST) because that’s when the planets will be most visible.

Which planets are aligning?

On February 27, the crescent moon will be aligned with Venus and Mars, the two closest planets to Earth.

In addition, Mercury and Saturn could also be visible along with the other planets and the waning moon, according to Space.com.

Where will they align?

The Moon, Venus, and Mars can be found in the constellation Sagittarius.

It is located in the Southern celestial hemisphere.

Plus, Mercury and Saturn could also be visible along with the other planets and the waning moon, according to Space.com.