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After dusk, a brief planetary parade involving Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus will be visible near the crescent moon.
A “planetary parade,” a phenomenon where five planets line up in the night sky to create an exceptional view, will occur on Tuesday. Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, and Mars will align for a brief display after dusk on the western horizon, close to the crescent moon. Anyone with a westerly outlook and clear skies can see it almost anywhere on Earth.
Although Tuesday is the finest day to view the entire array, a few of the planets will still be visible for the next two weeks. According to Cooke, Jupiter, Venus, and Mars will be the most visible planets because they shine brilliantly. Mercury and Uranus will be fainter and best seen through binoculars, while Mars will look close to the moon and have a reddish glow.
It’s an uncommon opportunity for astronomy lovers to see Uranus, which will be visible as a green glow above Venus.
Read: Planets Visible in the Night Sky in Nairobi, Kenya
But the view will be ephemeral; Mercury and Jupiter will swiftly dip below the horizon around half an hour after sunset.
The planets are dispersed throughout the solar system and are not truly close to one another. It will simply seem that way to us because we are on Earth. When the planets are orbiting on the same side of the sun as Earth, the occurrence takes place.
In the earthly heavens, groups of planets frequently congregate in this manner. In June, there will be a second five-planet array with a slightly altered lineup.
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However, it’s a worthwhile perspective. According to Rory Bentley of UCLA, who spoke with Popular Science, “you get to see pretty much the entire solar system in one night.”
Buzz Aldrin, a former astronaut for Apollo, also encouraged people to look up on Tuesday night in support of the cosmic event.
The above table shows how Nairobi for instance will enjoy this view.
Source: NASA and Guardian.
