This stunning photo shows every single planet in the solar system at the same time during a rare alignment that won’t happen again until 2040.
Taken from a field in Somerset, the groundbreaking image could be the first ever to capture all the planets.
Josh Dury, 27, caught the spectacle of the solar system’s planets aligning from the Somerset’s Mendips Hills on Saturday.
The unusual celestial event is known as a ‘planetary parade’, with Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune aligning in the night sky.
Josh said: ‘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. However, 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.’
A stunning photo has showed every single planet in the solar system at the same time during a rare alignment that won’t happen again until 2040
Astro photographer Josh Dury captured the spectacle of the solar system’s planets aligning from the Somerset’s Mendips Hills on Saturday
This is the last time such an alignment will be as visible from the UK until 2040.
The last planetary alignment was 1982 but at the time cameras didn’t have the ability to capture all of them.
Experts have claimed it could be the first time all eight planets, including Earth, have been captured in a single image.
The unique alignment, set to conclude on Friday, occurs when the planets in our solar system, which are orbiting the sun, line up from the Earth’s perspective.
While Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have historically been seen together in the night sky, a ‘bonus’ sighting of Mercury is very rare.
Dr David Armstrong, associate professor of physics at Warwick University, told the Mail that ‘early in the evening just after sunset’ will serve as the optimum period for a possible planet sighting in the UK.
Venus and Jupiter are set to be the easiest to spot due to their strong brightness, while Mars holds a unique red glow and Saturn is noticeably yellow.
A location with minimal light pollution and a clearer view of the horizon will provide the best possible success for stargazers.
Josh Dury said: ‘These three planets are not easy to see at all’
The unusual celestial event is known as a ‘planetary parade’, with Mars , Jupiter , Mercury , Venus , Saturn , Uranus, and Neptune aligning in the night sky
Dr Armstrong recommends using a free night sky app to locate the planet’s specific locations, due to their faint appearance.
Time is also needed to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness of the night sky in order to increase your probability of a sighting.
Finn Burridge, astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich, told The Mail that while Venus and Saturn will be visible in the west, Jupiter is set to appear as a bright star in the southeast and Mars in the east.
Weather conditions across the UK will also likely impact the planets’ visibility.
On Thursday, a drier and clearer view of the early night sky is expected.
High pressures across the UK on Friday, alongside a unique new moon, will likely create the driest conditions and clearest visibility for most, increasing the likelihood of the planets being spotted.
