On March 27, five planets-- Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars — will line up near the moon. People can watch the whole group and the best day to watch the rare planetary alignment on Tuesday. You'll want to look to the western horizon right after sunset, said NASA astronomer Bill Cooke.
The planets will stretch from the horizon line to around halfway up the night sky. Mercury and Jupiter will quickly dip below the horizon around half an hour after sunset.
The five-planet spread can be seen from anywhere on Earth, as long as you have clear skies and a view of the west. “That's the beauty of these planetary alignments. It doesn't take much,” Cooke said.
As per the NASA astronomer, Jupiter, Venus and Mars will all be pretty easy to see since they shine brightly. Venus will be one of the brightest things in the sky, and Mars will be hanging out near the moon with a reddish glow. Mercury and Uranus could be trickier to spot, since they will be dimmer. You'll probably need to grab a pair of binoculars.
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If you're a “planet collector”, it's a rare chance to spot Uranus, which usually isn't visible, Cooke said. Look out for its green glow just above Venus.
(With inputs from PTI)
