There is a lot of planet activity in the early morning sky, with five planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, visible at the same time. For about the next month, you will be able to see these five for the first time in a decade.
Telescope viewing of five planets
In response, the St. Petersburg College Observatory will host free telescope viewing of the five planets from 6-7 a.m. on:
- Friday Jan.29
- Saturday Jan. 30
- Wednesday Feb. 3
- Thursday Feb. 4
- Friday, Feb. 5
The events are weather permitting; telescope viewing is cancelled if skies are not clear. On these dates the moon will add to the spectacle, and Mercury will be more easily visible.
The SPC Observatory is located on the third floor of Science building on the St. Petersburg/Gibbs campus, at Fifth Avenue N and 69th Street.
Explore the universe at St. Petersburg College
The St. Petersburg College Planetarium and Observatory are great places for all ages to explore the universe. The planetarium is a “star theater” with a 24-foot domed ceiling that can accurately simulate the night sky at any time or location on Earth.
The rooftop observatory, features a 20-inch reflecting telescope that is open to students and the public. Additional telescopes are available on our spacious third floor observation deck. Special telescopes equipped with solar filters allow daytime visitors to safely view sunspots, prominences and other solar activity. Both the planetarium and observation deck are wheelchair-accessible.
For more information, contact Dr. Craig Joseph, Planetarium director, at 727-341-4320.
St. Petersburg College offers Astronomy Classes and a variety of physical science classes.
Related news articles
Learn more about the 5 planets alignment on these articles: