FIVE planets will be visible in the night sky on Tuesday evening - here's how ... trends now

FIVE planets will be visible in the night sky on Tuesday evening - here's how ... trends now
FIVE planets will be visible in the night sky on Tuesday evening - here's how ... trends now

FIVE planets will be visible in the night sky on Tuesday evening - here's how ... trends now

Look up this week! FIVE planets will be visible in the night sky on Tuesday evening – here's how to see Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Uranus and Mars On March 28 a large planetary alignment will be viewable to stargazers on Earth While it's not unusual to see two or three planets aligned, this is more uncommon For the best view of the five planets on Tuesday, it is best to escape the city

View
comments

Astronomy enthusiasts will have the chance to gaze up at a rare planetary parade on Tuesday as five planets of the solar system align.

Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Uranus should be visible shortly after sunset on March 28 while lining up in the night sky.

From the UK, Venus and Jupiter are expected to be most obvious to see, while spotting faint Mercury, Uranus and Mars may be a bit more challenging.

Your precise location in the country is 'is not critical' for catching sight of the planets, according to Professor Beth Biller, of the University of Edinburgh.

But she did confirm that escaping city life is the best option for clearer views, with urban areas more affected by light pollution.

She told MailOnline: 'Exact location in the UK is probably not critical. What's more important is to be out of the city and to be somewhere where you have a good view of the horizon.'

On March 28 a large planetary alignment of Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars and Venus will be viewable to stargazers on Earth

How to find good places to stargaze 
Stay away from areas with lots of light pollution, such as parking lots, sport complexes, street lights Being at higher altitude helps, because you'll be above the dense air at low altitudes that contains hazes, fog, and smoke that mask your view of the stars Use a stargazing app to direct your gaze to the right area of the night sky Check the weather - even the best spots are too cloudy sometimes! 

Advertisement

A planetary parade takes place when a number of planets are located in the same constellation. 

While it is not unusual to see two or three planets in the sky, an alignment of five is less common. 

It happened last year, and in both 2020 and 2016 prior to that. 

Professor Biller added: 'Venus and Jupiter are both very bright and easy to pick out and you may have already seen them close together over the past few weeks. 

'Mars is a bit fainter, but still easily observed with the naked eye. Mercury starts getting tricky - you need to be at a dark site with a clear view of the horizon if you want to see Mercury.'

Some planets may also be tricky to spot from the US, according to the senior contributing editor at Sky & Telescope, Rick Fienberg.

'Unless you have a clear sky and a nearly flat western horizon free of obstructions such as trees or buildings, you won't see Jupiter and Mercury,' he said while speaking to FOX 35.

While specialist equipment may be needed to spot Uranus, Mr

read more from dailymail.....

NEXT The UK's most sustainable restaurants are revealed - and it's bad news for KFC ... trends now