For the first time in 11 years, observers should be able to see five planets together in the night’s sky. Planetary alignments mean this spring should make for exceptional stargazing.
If you face South, the brightest object in the sky should be Jupiter. Following a line across the sky and to your right and you’ll see Mars, Saturn, Venus and, close to the horizon, will be Mercury. Indiana University professor of astronomy Caty Pilachowski says this kind of alignment is rare, and for good reason.
“Jupiter takes 11 years to make a full orbit, Saturn takes 30 years to make a full orbit, Mercury only takes 88 days to make a full orbit, so as these planets all move in their orientation we get these alignments and I think that’s what’s interesting for people to think about as they follow them in the night sky,” Pilachowski says.
The five planets haven’t appeared together in the night sky for 11 years and should be visible until the middle of February. The best viewing times should be right before dawn, when Mercury is at its highest.