2007-10-17 10:34:08 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Five.
(Or six, if you count the Earth.)
The two inner ones (relative to the Earth), Mercury and Venus often line up so that you can see both above the horizon, either in early evening or just before dawn.
The three outer ones (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) can be seen in the same sky, when their positions are on the same side of the Sun as the Earth's.
.
2007-10-17 10:41:07 · answer #1 · answered by bam 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the answers have ignored your words "at one time." This puts a pretty strict restriction on the answers. Currently three planets are visible before dawn: Saturn, Venus, and Mars. These will be joined by Mercury for the first couple of weeks of November, which is pretty good, but Uranus and Jupiter are way over in the evening sky. It probably will be years before you will get all six naked eye planets in the smae part of the sky, so that they can all be seen at once.
2007-10-17 19:12:45 · answer #2 · answered by GeoffG 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Uranus can sometimes be seen naked eye under very dark conditions, but those conditions are incompatible with also being able to see Mercury, which can only be seen at twilight or during eclipses (both of which are too bright for Uranus).
So I'd say the five "classical" planets plus Earth. Of course they are only aligned in the same part of the sky occasionally, and at long intervals.
2007-10-17 17:47:01 · answer #3 · answered by cosmo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Five, when the positions are favorable.
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
On exceptionally rare occasions and with uncommonly sharp vision Neptune may be seen -- but that is extremely rare, so I don't include Neptune in the list. By the way, you have to know exactly where it is in order to do that and the sky has to be absolutely clear (and seeing excellent) and dark as can be -- no stray light from any source.
If you want to get technical you can include Earth and that would make six.
J.
http://www.jrichardjacobs.net
"The speed of the brain is inversely proportional to the speed of the mouth squared."
2007-10-17 17:45:09 · answer #4 · answered by orbitaldata 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you will have to wait until april 2036 for another chance to readily see all five naked-eye planets at the same time in the evening...
they are, of course, mercury, venus, mars, jupiter & saturn.
incidentally, i have seen uranus naked eye from a true dark site in west virgina, but it kept blinking in and out, and i had to use averted vision to see it at all.
2007-10-17 17:45:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can see Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and maybe Uranus (if you strained to see it) with the naked eye. If they all happen to be up at the same time, you will see them all.
2007-10-17 17:39:39 · answer #6 · answered by ZikZak 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hey Geoff G, to follow your lead, since the asker said "planets" i.e. in inverted commas perhaps we should also include (4) Vesta on the potential list (mag. 5 for a favourable apparition) and then as I understand it the Greeks considered the Sun and Moon as "planets" (wanderers) in their day.
2007-10-18 07:58:05 · answer #7 · answered by Peter T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually you can see six if you are in extreme darkness, and the planets are in near alignment. it also helps when it is cold as the otmosphere is much clearer, and the light is not as defracted by water particals.
2007-10-17 17:38:37 · answer #8 · answered by John 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's very unlikely that you'd see more than two or three at a time. Not only do they have to be aligned, but some of them only appear when at certain times of the day/night.
2007-10-17 17:46:50 · answer #9 · answered by Nate F 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
6 max but probably only rarely.
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Earth.
2007-10-17 17:40:10 · answer #10 · answered by bravozulu 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋