Rare photo captures all 8 planets for first time
What's the story
A rare celestial event, the "planetary parade," has been captured in a single photograph by UK-based photographer Josh Dury.
The phenomenon, which occurs when Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune appear to align from our perspective on Earth, was successfully photographed by Dury from the Mendips Hills near Bristol, England on February 22.
The image is believed to be the first of its kind to include all eight planets, including Earth, within one frame.
Methodology
Dury's innovative approach to capturing the planetary parade
Dury used a wide-angle lens and several image analysis and astronomy apps to verify the location of every planet.
The final image is a composite of nine individual photos, with a high dynamic range (HDR) blend employed to expose Saturn, Neptune, and Mercury.
"I managed to capture a panorama image of the seven planets, AKA - the planetary parade," Dury told SWNS. "It is made of nine images, revealing Saturn, Mercury and Neptune."
Historical context
Planetary alignment: A rare occurrence
While planetary alignment isn't new, this is the first time it has been captured in a single photograph.
Before 2006, Pluto was also considered a planet, and its inclusion would have made such an image impossible, given its distance.
This makes Dury's achievement of capturing the planetary parade all the more special.