Photographer Josh Dury, known as the “Starman,” may have captured the first-ever image of all seven planets and Earth in a single frame during a rare celestial event called the “great planetary parade.” This alignment of all eight planets, which last occurred in 1982, was photographed from Mendip Hills in Somerset on February 22. Dury used a Sony A7S II camera and a Sigma 15mm lens, employing a panoramic stitching technique to showcase the difficult-to-spot Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune. The planetary parade will be visible across India from February 21-29, marking a rare opportunity until 2040.
In a remarkable achievement, photographer Josh Dury, 27, popularly known as the “Starman”, is thought to have taken the first-ever photograph capturing all seven planets, along with Earth, in a single frame. This exceptional moment was made possible by a rare celestial occurrence called the “great planetary parade”, which transpires when all eight planets align — a phenomenon that hasn’t happened since 1982. Mr. Dury, an award-winning astronomical photographer, snapped the panoramic image from the Mendip Hills in Somerset on February 22, potentially making history with this stunning photograph.
View the images here:
How did he achieve this?
To photograph the elusive trio of Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune, Mr. Dury utilized a rigorous technique. He assembled a panoramic image by stitching multiple “panes” together. For the particular pane that featured these three planets, he adopted a dual-exposure method: one base exposure paired with another that utilized higher exposure and ISO settings to draw out the faint light from the dimmer planets.
To confirm their locations, he cross-referenced the image with standard sphere maps. The equipment Mr. Dury chose for this remarkable capture included a Sony A7S II camera combined with a Sigma 15mm Diagonal Fisheye lens.
Mr. Dury remarked to The Telegraph: “I was able to capture a panoramic image of the seven planets, also known as the planetary parade. It consists of nine images, showcasing Saturn, Mercury, and Neptune. These were quite challenging to locate. I utilized various image analysis and astronomy applications to verify their positions. Given that this was taken with a wide-angle lens, the nine images were stitched together into a panorama, along with an HDR blend from one of the frames to highlight Saturn, Neptune, and Mercury. These three planets are notoriously difficult to see.”
“Because they are close to the sun and I attempted to photograph them as soon as they became visible, the relative positions of these three planets are slightly misaligned due to their visibility from the imaging location and the low cloud cover in the west,” Mr. Dury clarified.
Understanding the Planetary Parade
Significantly, the celestial event known as the “planetary parade” is approaching its peak.
Astronomers describe planetary alignment as the occurrence where several planets gather on one side of the Sun at the same time. This alignment can involve anywhere from three to eight planets. While smaller alignments happen relatively often, larger alignments are rarer. Specifically, alignments of five planets are more common than those of six, but the rarest and most astonishing event is when all seven planets align, creating a truly exceptional astronomical phenomenon.
On February 28, a rare and fleeting moment will take place when every planet in our solar system will be visible in the night sky. Following the alignment of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune between January 21-29, this event will represent the last occasion until 2040 that all seven planets, including Mercury, will come together to form a stunning night sky display.
Planetary Parade: Visibility in India
The planetary alignment will be observable throughout India, with most cities having the opportunity to witness this unique spectacle. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus will be visible to the naked eye, but observing Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune will require a telescope, as they will appear faint.