Tonight, five planets will be visible to the naked eye in the sky alongside the moon, forming an arc in what is known as a “planetary parade.”
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus will all be visible in the night sky, which you won’t want to miss.
If you have a telescope that has been collecting dust in preparation for a big event, now is the time to open it up and point it towards the western horizon, hopefully with a clear view.
Of course, Uranus is the object that everyone is most excited to see because it is so far away from us and we don’t often get to see it, so if you want to see Uranus tonight, follow these instructions.
While the naked eye can see some of the closer planets in tonight’s sky, you’ll want to get a much closer look at Uranus with your handy telescope or binoculars to see as much as you can in the “planetary parade”.
If you look up at the sky tonight (and have a telescope) you can get a really good look at Uranus. Credit: Gunter Hofer / Alamy Stock Photo
This event will be visible after sunset, so you’ll have to wait a little longer than usual due to daylight saving time, and you’ll need to look west.
As with all stargazing, you’ll want to be somewhere with clear skies and an unobstructed view, and if you can manage that tonight, you can peer into the vast, dark void of space, hoping to see Uranus’ little circle.
According to Jake Foster of the Royal Observatory Greenwich, you should be able to see Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and the Moon with the naked eye tonight, but Uranus and Mercury will require a bit more effort.
To see Uranus, you’d need a “medium-sized telescope,” according to Foster, while Mercury was “an added challenge for the very determined.”
Five planets and the Moon will be aligned in the night’s sky, make sure you get a good look at Uranus. Credit: Night Sky
He explained that the planets aren’t actually aligned in our solar system right now, but from our perspective on Earth, they appear to be.
From our vantage point, Mercury and Jupiter will appear to be closest to the horizon, while Venus and Uranus will appear to be further away.
While Uranus will be difficult to see, it will appear to be three degrees to the upper left of Venus’s bright and visible light.
Even higher up, you’ll see the Moon, which is currently shaped like a fat crescent, followed by Mars.
According to Space.com, your window of opportunity to see it all will be limited, as you’ll want to look for Mercury and Jupiter around 20 to 25 minutes after sunset, and you’ll only have about a half-hour to see them before they disappear from view.
Venus and Jupiter will be the brightest planets visible, and if you want to be sure you’re looking at a planet, look for the absence of a twinkle; while stars may appear to twinkle in the night sky, planets do not.
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