The best day to spot the planetary alignment is Tuesday, March 28, immediately after sunset. AP
The best day to spot the planetary alignment is Tuesday, March 28, immediately after sunset. AP
The best day to spot the planetary alignment is Tuesday, March 28, immediately after sunset. AP
The best day to spot the planetary alignment is Tuesday, March 28, immediately after sunset. AP

Five planets align in rare celestial event


Sarwat Nasir
  • English
  • Arabic

Stargazers will again be able to witness a rare celestial event this week in which five planets will align.

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will line up, lighting up the night skies in many parts of the world.

In the UAE, Monday evening was the best time to observe the planetary alignment, but it will also be wholly visible on Tuesday and slightly so for the rest of the week, with a telescope.

The astronomical event occurs when planets move closer to each other on one side of the Sun at the same time.

"On the evening of March 28, five planets — Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Uranus, and Mars — will gather within a small 50-degree sky sector," said Starwalk Space, a company that runs an astronomy mobile app.

"They will be located in the constellation Pisces, separated by about one degree.

"Higher up in the sky, Venus will shine brightly with a magnitude of minus 4.0 in the constellation Aries.

"If you use a pair of strong binoculars, you’ll see Uranus nearby, shining with a magnitude of 5.8 at a distance of about 2 degrees from Venus.

"Mars will join the alignment higher in the sky, near the first quarter Moon in the constellation Gemini."

The five-planet array will be visible from anywhere on Earth where there are clear skies.

Last year, a similar celestial event took place, in which Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn lined up in their natural order from the Sun.

That alignment in June was the first for 18 years and was visible to the naked eye around the world, including in the UAE.

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Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

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Uefa Champions League Group H

Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)

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Saturday September 12

Crystal Palace v Southampton

Fulham v Arsenal

Liverpool v Leeds United

Tottenham v Everton

West Brom v Leicester

West Ham  v Newcastle

Monday  September 14

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Sheffield United v Wolves

To be rescheduled

Burnley v Manchester United

Manchester City v Aston Villa

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2) Take it to the US Embassy

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1. Liverpool 101 points

2. Manchester City 80 

3. Leicester 67

4. Chelsea 63

5. Manchester United 61

6. Tottenham 58

7. Wolves 56

8. Arsenal 56

9. Sheffield United 55

10. Everton 50

11. Burnley 49

12. Crystal Palace 49

13. Newcastle 46

14. Southampton 44

15. West Ham 39

16. Brighton 37

17. Watford 36

18. Bournemouth 36

19. Aston Villa 32

20. Norwich City 29

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

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3. Hajj

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Updated: March 28, 2023, 11:59 AM