During the nights of March, an extraordinary alignment of 5 planets will occur in the sky. Find out how to identify Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus in the night sky. The ‘wanderers,’ as the Greeks called them, are the five planets visible to the naked eye in the celestial vault. Either due to their proximity to Earth or their gigantic size, five planets of the Solar System are visible in the night sky without the need for astronomical observation instruments. However, admiring them all in a single night is a very rare cosmic event, since it depends on the orbits of the five orbs aligning enough to be visible from Earth’s perspective.
When to See the Alignment of the Planets
During the nights of March 25-30, the sky will experience an imaginary arc-shaped line that will be marked by Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, and Mars. The Moon is added to the alignment, which will be in its waxing phase and will be seen shining in the firmament. The best days to enjoy the sight of the five planets will be between March 25 and 28, since from this day, Jupiter will begin to sink further to the west and will be lost together with the largest star, the Sun. Try to see the rare alignment of the orbs before you lose track of Jupiter, and you will be able to see all 5 planets in one night.
How to Watch the Planetary Parade
While some of the planets will shine at their brightest, many others may require the use of binoculars to locate if you are not in completely clear light. For this reason, the first recommendation is to look for skies clear of light pollution and without visual obstacles. With optimal conditions, you will be able to see the 5 bright spots without much trouble.
The five planets will parade one after the other as the month draws further toward its end and will allow us to see an unusual event in the heavens. With the map above, try to locate all the planets on the celestial map and rediscover the connection with the cosmos.
Story written in Spanish by Alejandra Martínez in Ecoosfera
