The European Southern Observatory Snaps Rare Shot Of The Solar System’s Planets

The European Southern Observatory recently released images of a dance party in the night sky with the Moon, comets, and planets in our solar system in full view. ESO’s image is a rarity with several of the Milky Way’s planets aligning in what appears to be a beeline and outside the reaches of our galaxy. This once in a few year view has been labelled a “planetary party” by ESO, showcasing the range of cosmological wonders our solar system has to offer. 

The Planetary Party Captured By The European Southern Observatory

This rare occurrence took place one night in early February in Chile’s Atacama Desert. The stars, comets, and planets visible included the Moon, Comet C/2024 G3, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars. In fact, ESO also outlined that Neptune and Uranus, while not visible, were in the mix: “hiding here too!” 

Another interesting element of the image is the full sight of the Milky Way. In the image, star clusters spanning through the middle of the cosmological wonder are encompassed by the seven aforementioned planets that appear to be in a somewhat straight line – a rarity that happens every few years. 

Deceiving Our View: The Geometry Of The Star Spangled Image

When looking at the night, it appears that some of the normally visible stars and planets sit in a line. However, this is not the case. In reality, ESO says, the planets and stars would be “fanned out”. The reason why we see the Milky Way linearly is due to the ecliptic. That being: “the imaginary plane containing the Earth’s orbit around the Sun,” according to NASA.

As such, when gazing up at the night sky, ESO said: “often on nights with a few planets in view, you can draw an imaginary straight line… through them.” Yet, while they’re not in a line, we can see them all simultaneously. This can alter or distort our perception of the planet’s geometry due to this fictitious plane. 

Diving Deeper Into What The Image Presents

When observing the cluster that is the Milky Way, it can appear disjointed. The planets: Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, appear outside the band of the Milky Way. “The line that connects them crosses the Milky Way at an angle,” ESO said, which can be deceiving. ESO outlines this is due to the 60 degree angle of the ecliptic band. 

In ESO’s image, the Milky Way seems angular compared to the planetary plane which is visible in their labelled version, showcasing the difference between the Milky Way and the ecliptic band. In a statement, ESO commented: “If the Milky Way could somehow be shrunk down to lie flat on a table, our Solar System would be jutting out like a pin stuck in it at an odd angle.” This explains why the planets seem further than the galaxy they call home. 

Keep an eye out for our best astronomy photos of the week. We frequently highlight some of the astronomical shots taken of our night sky, so check back regularly!