APOD: An Evening Sky Full of Planets (2025 Jan 11)

[APOD Robot]

An Evening Sky Full of Planets

Explanation: Only Mercury is missing from a Solar System parade of planets in this early evening skyscape. Rising nearly opposite the Sun, bright Mars is at the far left. The other naked-eye planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus, can also be spotted, with the the position of too-faint Uranus and Neptune marked near the arcing trace of the ecliptic plane. On the far right and close to the western horizon after sunset is a young crescent Moon whose surface is partly illuminated by earthshine. In the foreground of the composite panorama captured on 2 January, planet Earth is represented by Mount Etna's lower Silvestri Crater. Of course Earth's early evening skies are full of planets for the entire month of January. On 13 January, a nearly Full Moon will appear to pass in front of Mars for skywatchers in the continental U.S. and Eastern Canada.

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[alex555]

I noticed that it is very difficult to recognize stars and constellations on night photos of the night sky, while with the naked eye we recognize them all at night. I still have the impression of recognizing the Pleiades cluster between Jupiter and Uranus on this photo.

Alex

[Christian G.]

I noticed that it is very difficult to recognize stars and constellations on night photos of the night sky, while with the naked eye we recognize them all at night. I still have the impression of recognizing the Pleiades cluster between Jupiter and Uranus on this photo.

Alex

True! Most of what we see in the sky looks better in images, telescopes and binoculars, except for the sky entire!
But if you see the Pleiades in today's image, you should easily find the Hyades below, and further down the same line, the unmistakable Orion.
To find the rest (as far as constellations go), here's a boring approximation of the APOD's beautiful panorama:

pan.png

Stellarium

[johnnydeep]

orion hyades pliedes.jpg

[Avalon]

Is Saturn off of the ecliptic plane?

[Ann]

Is Saturn off of the ecliptic plane?

Yes, according to my software, Saturn is located just south of the ecliptic plane. Also according to my software, Mars is located north of the galactic plane.

Ann

[Chris Peterson]

Is Saturn off of the ecliptic plane?

Of course, no planet except Earth orbits on the ecliptic plane. As all the other planets have non-zero inclinations, they are only "on" the plane twice over their orbits, at their ascending and descending nodes. So where they are in their orbit defines how far from the ecliptic they appear from our viewpoint.

[Avalon]

Thanks Ann and Chris. All of the other annotated planets seemed to be right on the ecliptic arc and I guess Saturn is that bright little gem just south of the arc.