In a groundbreaking feat, photographer Josh Dury, 27, also known as the "Starman", is believed to have captured the first-ever image of all seven planets, plus Earth, in a single frame. This rare opportunity arose due to a rare celestial event known as the "great planetary parade", which occurs when all eight planets align – a phenomenon that hasn't happened since 1982. Mr Dury, an award-winning astronomical photographer, snapped the panoramic photo from Somerset's Mendip Hills on February 22, potentially making history with this extraordinary image.
Watch the images here:
How did he capture it?
To capture the elusive trio of Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune, Mr Dury employed a meticulous technique. He created a panoramic image by stitching together multiple "panes". For the specific pane featuring these three planets, he used a dual-exposure approach: one base exposure and another with increased exposure and ISO to coax out the faint light from the dimmer planets.
To verify their positions, he cross-referenced the image with plain sphere maps. Dury's equipment of choice for this remarkable shot included a Sony A7S II camera paired with a Sigma 15mm Diagonal Fisheye lens.
Mr Dury told The Telegraph: "I managed to capture a panorama image of the seven planets, AKA - the planetary parade. It is made of nine images, revealing Saturn, Mercury and Neptune. They were very tricky to spot. I used multiple image analysis and astronomy apps to confirm their location As this was taken with a wide-angle lens, the nine images stitched to a panorama and a HDR blend of one of the frames to reveal Saturn, Neptune and Mercury. These three planets are not easy to see at all."
"Being close to the sun and in the attempt to photograph them as soon as they were readily visible, the relative positions of these three planets are slightly misaligned due to their approximate visibility from the imaging location and low western cloud," Mr Dury explained.
All About the Planetary Parade
Notably, the celestial spectacle known as the "planetary parade" is nearing its climax.
Astronomers define planetary alignment as the phenomenon where multiple planets converge on one side of the Sun simultaneously. This alignment can involve anywhere from three to eight planets. While smaller alignments are relatively common, larger ones are more rare. Specifically, five-planet alignments are more frequent than six-planet alignments, but the rarest and most extraordinary occurrence is when all seven planets align, making it a truly exceptional celestial event.
On February 28, a rare and fleeting moment will occur when all planets in our solar system will be visible in the night sky. Following the alignment of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune between January 21-29, this event will mark the last time until 2040 that all seven planets, including Mercury, will converge to create a breathtaking night sky display.
Planetary Parade: Visibility in India
The planetary alignment will be visible across India. Most cities will be able to witness this rare event. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will be visible to the naked eye. However, you will need a telescope to see Mercury, Saturn and Neptune, as they will be faint.
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