Stargazers have the opportunity to witness a rare planetary alignment this week as five planets, including Uranus, line up near the moon. While Jupiter, Venus, and Mars will be easily visible due to their brightness, Uranus and Mercury may require binoculars to see due to their dimness. The best day to see the five-planet alignment is Tuesday, immediately after sunset, by looking towards the western horizon. This kind of planetary alignment happens from time to time, with a five-planet lineup occurring last summer, and another one scheduled in June.
This week, stargazers will have the opportunity to witness a unique planetary hangout as five planets – Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars – align near the moon. NASA astronomer Bill Cooke suggests that the best day to see the group is Tuesday, right after sunset, by looking towards the western horizon. The five planets will stretch from the horizon line to about halfway up the night sky. However, don’t be late, as Mercury and Jupiter will quickly disappear below the horizon half an hour after sunset.
The beauty of these planetary alignments is that they can be seen from anywhere on Earth, as long as you have clear skies and a view of the west. While Jupiter, Venus, and Mars will all be easily visible due to their brightness, Cooke notes that you might need a pair of binoculars to see Uranus and Mercury, which will be dimmer. It is a rare chance to spot Uranus, which typically isn’t visible, as it will be just above Venus with a green glow.
This alignment happens when the planets’ orbits line them up on one side of the sun from Earth’s perspective. Such alignments happen from time to time, with a five-planet lineup occurring last summer, and another one in June with a slightly different makeup.
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