Jupiter?
So two days ago, I was preparing to sleep like any other human being. I decided to check my phone first. I opened WhatsApp, wondering whether my nocturnal classmates were online. Instead, I received a voice message from my brother, asking if I checked outside.
Why was he asking me to do that, you ask.
I ran outside as I was ordered and started staring into the sky, looking for Jupiter, Mars and Saturn.
He said the planets would be aligned in a straight line. Look for the brightest stars, in his words.
I was excited of course. Another parade of planets! I had thought the next one would be August of this year but I was obviously wrong. Last year, I had anxiously waited for June 3rd. Unfortunately for me, I slept of the day of the event. Then the next day, I learnt it could only be seen from North America. Scheiße!
If you've never heard of parade of planets before, it's an event that happens when some or all of the planets are aligned in a straight line. Some of the planets align frequently each year, but for all the planets to align at the same time, it usually takes a 1000 years.
I learnt that some would be visible to the naked eye while some would need a telescope to be seen.
Me and my mother went round the house, looking for the brightest stars. We don't have a telescope so we relied on our natural lenses. I figured that there wasn't much of a difference moving from one corner of the house to the other, since it's just the same location.
I think I see it!
Oh! That's just a satellite.
Another one!
See, look at this one here!
Look there! A straight line!
Those three are aligned in a straight line!
Honestly, our neighbours could have sworn for us that night. We were ouuing and ahhing, shouting, pointing here and there, making connections all because we were looking for the brightest stars. Luckily, none of them came out.
After a few minutes of making noise downstairs, we were satisfied with our space exploration. But I wonder, did we really see three planets aligned in a straight line or were those just stars?
This is the picture we took, but a little bit brightened. The highlighted area is the three stars that were aligned.
Jupiter or no Jupiter?
Maybe it's only in some countries you might be able to see this or maybe we saw the correct thing. I dunno. We just saw three stars aligned in a straight line!
Oops! There it is! Good story.
Glad you liked it! :-)