Estimated time for Comet C/1999 F1 (Catalina), one of the longest period comets known to return to the inner Solar System, after having travelled in its orbit out to its aphelion 66,600 AU (1.053 light-years) from the Sun and back.

An estimated 694 stars will approach the Solar System to less than 5 parsecs. Of these, 26 have a good probability to come within 1.0 parsec (3.3 light-years) and 7 within 0.5 parsecs (1.6 light-years).

Feb 16, 2025 · Located approximately 160,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Dorado, NGC 2040 is a young open cluster classified as an OB association due to its abundance of O-type and B-type stars. These massive stars, more than a dozen within the cluster, are characterized by their high temperatures and luminosities.

Jan 23, 2025 · Claims of a "rare planetary alignment" are misleading; it's just visible planets. A true "golden conjunction" occurs on Sept. 8, 2040.

Jun 3, 2024 · And here’s another, for those with a little more patience: On September 8, 2040, the five planets visible to the naked eye—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn—along with a crescent moon ...

This phenomenon, known as a 'planetary parade' is a rare sight, and it will be the last time seven planets can be seen simultaneously until 2040.

Feb 18, 2025 · After Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune aligned in the night sky between January 21 and 29, it will be the last time until 2040 that all seven planets, including Mercury, will...

A rare celestial event was captured from some parts of the world on Friday evening when all seven planets in our solar system were visible in a line to form what many call a "planetary parade"...

Feb 14, 2025 · Displaying wispy layers of red, orange and yellow, the nebula encasing NGC 2040 resembles a vibrant rose in this image captured by the Gemini South telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, which is supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab. This nebulous flower showcases the ...

Feb 28, 2025 · Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Saturn and Mercury will align in the same portion of sky for the last time until 2040. Alignments of four or five planets are not uncommon. All it requires is their orbits bringing them to the same side of the Sun as the Earth. But it's remarkably rare for six planets to align, and even rarer for seven.