On the network you can find a picture of a rare astronomical phenomenon - three planets on one line exactly above the tops of the Egyptian pyramids. We checked the authenticity of this photo.
In the picture you can see three pyramids in the Egyptian city of Giza, and three luminaries above them, in the night sky. It is claimed that this is Mercury, Venus and Saturn, and a similar phenomenon occurs only once in 2373. The photograph itself, as the signature reads in many viral publications, was made on December 3, 2012.
In different years, the picture spread to Facebook, X, "VKontakte" Telegram and on other resources. At the end of June 2025, he again gained popularity in the Russian -language segment of the network - publication on the site "Picabu"At the time of writing, more than 280,000 people looked at, and post in Facebook More than 2000 users shared. Previously also distributed Processed version of the same photo with increased contrast.
In the night sky, in addition to stars, the inhabitants of the Earth can see other luminaries with the naked eye, including Five planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Sometimes several planets at once line up in a row.
If the date of the picture - December 3, 2012 - is indicated correctly, then you can use the tool for its modeling Solar System Scope. It allows you to determine the position of the stars at the specified point by time and coordinates. To the east and southeast of the Giza pyramids early on the morning of December 3, 2012 it was really possible to see Mercury, Venus and Saturn near each other, but from the point of view of the observer they lined up not in a horizontal but almost vertical line. Gradually, they moved away from the horizon, and in the afternoon they no longer appeared in sight. At the same time, in a viral photo, how can you make sure Google Maps, the camera looks north.
The fact of AFP agency, who also checked the authenticity of the viral picture, Turned For a comment on several specialists in astronomy. Juan Antonio Belmont Avoles, a professor at the Astrophysical Institute of the Canary Islands, called the frame impossible - the planets on it are located as they will never be visible from Giza from such an angle. “Not to mention the fact that the same brightness of Mercury and Venus is simply absurd,” he added. In addition, interlocutors AFP And USA Today It was noted that three planets can be seen from the Earth at the same time in 2373, but approximately annually.
We turn to the picture itself. Reverse search search service Tineye It shows that initially this photo was “clean”, without planets. It was in this form that it spread back in 2008. The Internet Archive has preserved more Early versions The same publications dating from February 2007.
The mass publication of the same picture with planets already added to the photo editor began in 2012, but earlier on December 3. In those posts, the date of the picture, of course, was not indicated.
It is not known for certain who was the first to edit the photo of the pyramids, adding the planets to it. AFP factor suggestedwhat did the blogger Charles Marsello did for his publications From April 26, 2011. However, analysis archival copies The post shows that he added this picture later, between August 18 and 19, 2012.
Thus, a viral photograph with three planets over the Egyptian pyramids is false and created on the basis of a real photo in which no luminaries are visible. The very position of Mercury, Venus and Saturn on December 3, 2012 or another day from this point could not theoretically be the same as in the picture.
Photo on the cover: social networks
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