The 'Dance of the Planets' Is a Real Thing That's Happening Now

It's prom season — for the planets

Every couple of years, give or take, planets get together in the night sky in such a way that they seem to be aligned with each other. They seem to be, really — from Earth's perspective — shyly approaching each other, asking each other to dance. This planetary mixing-and-mingling is scientifically known as "planetary conjunction" ... but it's colloquially known, probably because of the corsages and the limos and the awkward dancing, the "Dance of the Planets."

We're about to have an especially rare and wonderful version of that dance. The night skies this week, provided they're clear, will reveal, yep, a triple conjunction — a planetary crossover featuring the three brightest planets as seen from Earth: Mercury, Venus and Jupiter. Between May 24 and May 29, the celestial trio will fit within a circle whose diameter is less than 5 degrees wide on the sky's dome. They'll dance around each other (as, ostensibly, "Feel This Moment" plays in the background). Read more...

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