BOISE, Idaho — Look up in the night sky this week, and you might see something that hasn’t been around in almost 10 months.
On Tuesday, a large planetary alignment involving five planets will streak across the sky. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will appear to be in a near-straight line, according to Star Walk Space.
The last time multiple planets lined up in a similar pattern was in early June 2022, when Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus aligned across the sky.
Although Tuesday evening is the best time to see the alignment, stargazers can witness the event several days before and after Tuesday. Here’s what to know about the rare solar occurrence.
Planetary alignment, also known as a conjunction between two planets, is, in essence, an optical illusion. The planets of the Solar System all move around the same orbital plane, according to National Geographic, so when several planets are on the same side of the sun as Earth, it looks as if they’re close together.
In reality, the planets are hundreds of millions of miles apart. Sometimes several planets can be on the same side of the sun as Earth but not align due to their orbital positions.
But when they do, it creates a magnificent sight in the sky.
Most of the alignment over the next few days can be viewed with the naked eye, but telescopes or a pair of binoculars would be helpful.
Venus, Mars and Jupiter can all be viewed easily with the naked eye, according to The Farmers’ Almanac. Mercury can also be seen with the naked eye, but due to its proximity to the sun, it can be seen only right after sunset or before dawn, meaning those would be the best moments to see the entire alignment.
Uranus is so far away — 1.9 billion miles — that unless you’re in a pitch-dark area like the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, you’ll need a magnification device.
While the alignment peak is on Tuesday, the best chance to see it could be Sunday or Monday, depending on weather forecasts. The planets aren’t moving anywhere quickly, and they’ll still be visible in a line for several days on either side of Tuesday, according to Star Walk Space.
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