Planets disappearing??
I have gathered from reading various posts that the planets are only going to be visible from the southern hemisphere for the next few years. Can someone please confirm that I have this correct and possibly tell me what, if anything, will be visible next year and when the planets will be returning to our skies?
Thanks
That's right, and unfortunately it gets worse before it gets better. Until 2020 both Mars and Saturn are poorly placed, then they improve, Mars more quickly but Saturn won't be back to its ultimate best until 2031 at 60 degrees altitude from my location (51 degrees north)
I put this together from SkySafari as a rough guide.
Planetary altitude in degrees for each opposition
Year Saturn Mars
2016 18 17
2017 16 Superior Conjunction