Blog: See three planets with the naked eye from your own home
In the early hours of tomorrow (Wednesday 15 April) and Thursday morning, you will have the opportunity to see three planets with your naked eye, and from the safety of your own home!
Just before sunrise, the best viewing will be across the bulk of England and Wales, and with clear skies forecast here in the Channel Islands too, it could prove to be a wonderful spectacle.
Wrap up if you do look from a balcony or garden though, as it will feel cold. The forecast is for temperatures to be just eight degrees.
Sunrise is about 6:15am, but it is best to look about 45 minutes before, so if you are awake at around 5:30am BST you should be able to see the waning crescent moon, and the moon can then guide you to not just one, but three planets — Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.
According to Astronomy now Magazine, if you have some binoculars to hand, you may also see some moons of Jupiter too!
Here is some information on the planets themselves:
Jupiter
It is the fifth planet in our solar system, and the largest and fastest spinning planet in our solar system. It has four rings and 79 moons.
Saturn
The sixth planet from the sun, and the second largest planet in our solar system.
Saturn and Jupiter are known as relatives as they have similar rotations and atmospheres.
Did you know...
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and is the second smallest planet in our solar system. Not a gas giant like Jupiter or Saturn and has rocky craters and mountains.
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