Rare opportunity to see the elusive planet Uranus on January 20

Rare opportunity to see the elusive planet Uranus on January 20

NASA's videos give tips on how to spot the planet

A RARE opportunity to spot the planet Uranus will open up on Wednesday, January 20.

According to NASA, the planet is usually faint, and anyone who wants to see it will still need binoculars or a telescope, but the position of the moon and the planet Mars in the night sky will help locate it.

Wait for the sun to go down, look for the crescent moon a couple of hours after dark, and above that, you should see Mars, which has a reddish colour. Between the two, you should be able to see the faint, bluish disk of the planet Uranus, NASA explained.

Uranus is a giant planet with a blue colour and rings, however, the hydrogen sulphide gas in its clouds reportedly smells like rotten eggs, so it’s a good thing we can’t get too close to it.

NASA’s ‘What’s Up’ video on YouTube gives more tips on how to enjoy the night sky and get a better chance of spotting planets like Uranus.


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Jennifer Leighfield

Jennifer Leighfield, born in Salisbury, UK; resident in Malaga, Spain since 1989. Degree in Translation and Interpreting in Spanish, French and English from Malaga University (2005), specialising in Crime, Forensic Medicine and Genetics. Published translations include three books by Richard Handscombe. Worked with Euro Weekly News since November 2006. Well-travelled throughout Spain and the rest of the world, fan of Harry Potter and most things ‘geek’.

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