In late March, five planets align beneath the moon in a show that is frequently referred to as a planetary parade or alignment, creating a breathtaking sight for night sky enthusiasts who are used to seeing a scattering of planets.
On Tuesday evening, shortly after sunset, observers will have the best chance of viewing the alignment, which will include Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus. According to Cameron Hummels, a computational astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology, a large portion of the show will start to be visible on Friday and will remain so for the following few weeks.
Every few years or so alignments like this one occur, according to Hummels, and a large portion of it will be visible with the unaided eye, even in densely populated locations with severe light pollution. Moreover, it may be seen from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The arrangement will be easily visible below the crescent moon. Hummels advised going outside to a location with a good view of the western horizon just after sunset, while streaks of the colorful sunset are still visible and the sky has become dark blue but is still not completely black, in order to see the display. (Hummels advised looking slightly southwest for people who live far to the southwest, and somewhat northwest for people who reside in the Southern Hemisphere.)
Venus, which is frequently referred to as the “evening star” because it is the brightest object in the night sky except for the moon, will be the easiest planet to spot. Uranus will appear near Venus, but unless you’re observing from a perfect position with no light pollution, it can be challenging to make out the distant planet without binoculars or a telescope. Jupiter and Mercury will be barely above the horizon, beneath Venus and Uranus. Mercury may also be challenging to observe without specialized tools since the sun’s glare can hide the planet. But according to Hummels, both planets will be visible for 20 to 30 minutes after sunset to keen watchers.
Mars will be at the top of the planetary parade, directly above Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Uranus, and the moon. Hummels claimed that it is easy to recognize because of its striking orange color. According to Hummels, the planets will all appear “kind of like pearls on a necklace” as they travel across the night sky.
Just over 70 degrees of the sky will be covered by the complete alignment. Use your thumb or a closed fist held outward and away from your body, according to Hummels, as a means for gauging the degree of the sky. One degree is covered by a thumb, while ten degrees is covered by a fist held at arm’s length.
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