Planets Putting On Solar Production

Five Brightest Planets To Align In Plain Sight

LOS ANGELES -- The five brightest planets visible from Earth have lined up in plain sight to form a spectacular celestial array that won't be seen again until 2040.

Planetary Alignment Interactive Other Resources Sky & Telescope Griffith Observatory

For two more weeks, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Saturn and Venus will appear tightly clustered in the Western sky. They will be visible in the evening with the naked eye.

Each evening, the alignment will assume different shapes, as the five planets take their orbital paths around the sun. The planets orbit in the same plane, like grooves in a phonograph record, only at different distances from the sun. Similar bunchings occur every 20 years or so, though they are not always visible. The last time they were this visible was in 1940.

In May 2000, the five planets formed a tighter bunch but were so close to the sun that they were washed out by its glare.

Astronomers stress there is no astronomical significance to the pileup, calling it a "pretty coincidence."

Doomsayers are likely to see some dark meaning in what astronomers say is purely a celestial coincidence.

In the months before the May 2000 lineup, some thought it foretold widespread catastrophe.

Copyright 2002 by Channel4000.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.