Prepare for the PLANET PARADE

While it’s been disappointingly quiet for comet observers, aurora hunters and meteor watchers, there’s no doubt that 2022 has been a great year for planet spotters. Back in early summer there was a striking and much-hyped ‘chain of worlds’ spread out across the sky, with half a dozen planets strung out along the ecliptic like beads on a bracelet. Unfortunately, that celestial treat was only visible before dawn, so many people missed it or didn’t even know it was happening at all.

But good news: another planetary parade will be on view this month! And even better news: this time it will be in the evening sky, so you won’t need to set the alarm really early to see it. Throughout September no less than five planets – Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Uranus and Neptune – will all be on view at once, if you look at the right time.

As exciting and rare as it was, summer’s planetary line-up wasn’t easy to see for many Northern Hemisphere sky-watchers –