Look up to the night sky later this month as five planets will be visible at the same time in what is a pretty rare event!

Whether you're an avid astronomer or someone who just glances up at the sky every now and then, we can presumably all agree that the night sky is pretty beautiful.

Seeing a shooting star is something that is on a lot of people's bucket lists, as well as watching the northern lights illuminate the night.

One thing that those of us who don't own a telescope often presume is that seeing other planets isn't something we're able to achieve - but we can do exactly this later this month.

According to the Daily Mail, seeing one or two planets in the sky at once isn't unusual, but seeing five at the same time isn't too common with it previously happening last year and in 2020 and 2016.

The event is going to take place on March 28 as Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, and Venus will all be visible, though you may need binoculars.

Venus will light up the sky from a higher position while Mercury and Jupiter will be visible closer to the horizon.

If you glance closer to the moon you should be able to spot Mars, though if you want to find Uranus you'll need some binoculars.

It certainly seems like stargazers are in for a real treat at the end of the month, so let us all hope that clouds don't decide to ruin the evening.

This isn't the only moment of beauty that falls in March, as earlier this month astronomers were treated to a "cosmic kiss" that took place between Jupiter and Venus on March 1.

According to experts, the space smooch is technically called a conjunction - although that doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

The Royal Museums Greenwich explained that this occurs when "any two astronomical objects (such as asteroids, moons, planets, and stars) appear to be close together in the sky, as observed from Earth."

Though it is added that while it appears that the planets are touching, they are actually millions of kilometers away from each other.

Jackie Faherty an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History told NPR that Jupiter and Venus are actually 400 million miles apart.

She detailed that as the planets orbit the sun, the inner planets move a lot faster, similar to how an athletics track works.

Don't fret if you miss the five planets in the sky later this month, as this year is set to host many planetary events.

A Lyrid meteor shower is set to take place from April 15 to 29, and Space.com explains: "The Lyrids originate from the comet Thatcher, which orbits the sun about every 415 years. This is one of the oldest recorded showers, with observations dating back to 687 B.C.E."

This summer will also give stargazers the chance to spot a blue moon, and sitting outside in summer certainly has more appeal than the unpredictable weather that March brings.

Featured image credit: Nemes Laszlo / Alamy

Who says romance is dead?

Clearly not the astronomers celebrating a sweet "cosmic kiss" that took place between Jupiter and Venus last night (March 1).

Yep, you read that correctly! The Jupiter-Venus space smooch was part of what is called a conjunction, according to experts. The Royal Museums Greenwich explains that this occurs when "any two astronomical objects (such as asteroids, moons, planets, and stars) appear to be close together in the sky, as observed from Earth.

"Occasionally planets seem to occupy the same space in the night sky because of their alignment - though they are in fact millions of kilometers away from each other," they continued.

Jackie Faherty an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History detailed the situation for NPR, saying that Jupiter and Venus are actually "400 million miles apart" from each other. "Venus is passing Jupiter as they both orbit the sun. The inner planets move a lot faster than the outer planets. So you get a lot of these like racetrack passes," she says.

The two planets appeared in the western sky above the horizon at around 06:58 PM ET, per CNN. The Royal Astronomical Society of the UK told the outlet that: "The best time to spot the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in the US" was early Wednesday evening, "but the two planets will continue to appear close together in the night sky on Thursday [...] The conjunction will be visible to the naked eye."

If you ended up missing Jupiter and Venus' cute little peck, don't fret! There are plenty of other planetary events throughout the rest of the year, with the next one being a Lyrid meteor shower from April 15 to 29. Space.com explains that meteo showers occur "when the Earth passes through debris left behind from comets and asteroids, which is why they occur at around the same time each year.

"The Lyrids originate from the comet Thatcher, which orbits the sun about every 415 years. This is one of the oldest recorded showers, with observations dating back to 687 B.C.E.," the outlet continued. The spectacular display is visible in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, so there should be ample viewing opportunities, and stargazers can expect to see between 18 to 100 meteors per hour!

On August 31, Smithsonian Magazine details that the Blue Moon will make an appearance, something that occurs only once every 2.5 years. "The moon will be the closest in its elliptical orbit to Earth, making it a supermoon. Four supermoons will appear in a row this year—on July 3, August 1, August 31 and September 29. Because the month of August will see two full moons, the second is considered a blue moon. Blue moons happen every 2.5 years, and the last one occurred in August 2021," the Magazine explains.

Featured image credit: Łukasz Szczepanski / Alamy

Stargazers are in for a rare treat as five planets will be visible in the sky this weekend!

On Saturday morning (June 17), planets Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, and Saturn will be visible for a limited time before sunrise as they will line up near the eastern horizon.

If you are lucky, you can view the three brighter planets - Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn - with the naked eye, while you may need binoculars or a telescope to view Neptune and Uranus, according to StarWalks.

The reason for this spectacle is because of planetary parades - also known as alignments - which occur when several planets are located in the same constellation, at a 93-degree sector.

A mini-planetary alignment is when three planets are visible, while a small planetary alignment is when four planets are visible. So, as five planets will be observable on Saturday morning, stargazers will be able to catch a glimpse of a large planetary alignment.

However, Daily Mail reports that Saturn will actually rise in the dead of night on Friday (June 16) in the constellation of Aquarius. In addition to this, Jupiter will be in the constellation of Aries during the parade while Mercury will be in the constellation of Taurus.

To see the planetary alignment, the publication suggests finding a spot in the night sky where there is no light pollution, and has a clear view of the horizon, meaning a view without obstacles such as trees or tall buildings. NASA also suggests checking the weather forecast ahead of time to find a cloudless area.

"It’s essential for observing the planetary alignment on June 17 because Mercury will be close to the horizon, and two other planets, Uranus and Neptune, will be dim," the outlet said.

Another spectacle will be taking place after the planet parade on the same day or during the first hour of the next day as a new moon will emerge on June 18 at 12:37 AM ET or 11:37 PM CT, per MRT.

NASA stated that the new moon is the "invisible phase of the moon, with the illuminated side of the Moon facing the Sun and the night side facing Earth." This means that the moon "is in the same part of the sky as the Sun and rises and sets with the Sun".

The report added that in this phase, the moon "doesn’t usually pass directly between Earth and the Sun, due to the inclination of the Moon’s orbit. It only passes near the Sun from our perspective on Earth".

In addition to a new moon sighting, the northern hemisphere will experience the longest day of the year on June 21 which is known as the summer solstice.

Featured image credit: All About Space Magazine / Getty

Our great-great-grandchildren might be able to call a Space Uber and go to Mars, but most of us will never get the chance to journey into the cosmos. However, every so often, the splendors of space become visible to the naked eye. From the shimmering ethereal curtains of the Northern Lights to the occasional super blood moon, there's a lot to see in the sky, given the right circumstances.

If you live in the United Kingdom, tonight there is an excellent opportunity to see Uranus, the planet with the most hilarious name. If you look to the left of the moon, it should be visible as a small turquoise dot. If you own binoculars or a telescope, you can get an even better view. Although the moon is beginning to wane, it will still shine brightly enough to expose the seventh planet from the sun.

Uranus is visible this week because it is currently in opposition to the sun, rising while the sun sets. As long as those pesky clouds stay away, it should be visible all night, Mother Nature's perfect decoration for Halloween weekend. So, when you stumble home from the pub in your Sexy Handmaid's Tale costume, remember to look up from your phone and admire the beauty of this distant planet. Also, feel free to point at the sky and shout to strangers, "I can see Uranus!" They will appreciate the subtle humor.

There are some interesting facts about Uranus. It rotates on its side, instead of on an axis, like Earth and most other planets. It takes 84 years to take one trip around the sun (and you think your day was long). It has rings, and an atmosphere comprised of water, ammonia and methane ice crystals, which give the planet its distinctive blue color. It has 27 moons, with three named after characters created by William Shakespeare - Oberon, Titania and Miranda. And only one spacecraft has flown by the planet, the Voyager 2, in 1986.

Uranus was first spotted by in 1690 by John Flamsteed, who mistook the tiny glowing dot for a star, not a planet. Nearly a century later, in 1781, Sir William Herschel observed Uranus, and believed it was a comet. After determining that it orbited around the sun, astronomers gave it primary planet status.

The name 'Uranus' references a Greek god, Father Sky, the personification of the heavens. He was conceived by Gaea, Mother Earth, and went on to father eighteen children with her. (Hey, it's just how those Greek gods rolled, man.) However, he wasn't a good father, hiding each child back in Gaea's womb. Unable to stand the pain any longer, Gaea gave her son, Cronus, an adamantine sickle. The next time Uranus tried to sleep with Gaea, Cronus castrated him. Yay! I love a happy ending!
So, have a great night, and remember to check out Uranus!

Stargazers, get ready for a celestial spectacle!

This February, six planets—Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune — are currently visible in the night sky.

But if you hold out until February 28, you could catch an even rarer event: Mercury will join the lineup, creating a stunning seven-planet alignment—something that won’t happen again until 2040.

Why Do Planetary Alignments Happen?

Planetary alignments occur because all eight major planets in our Solar System orbit the Sun on the same flat plane — but at different speeds.

Mercury, the closest to the Sun, completes an orbit in just 88 days, whereas Neptune, the farthest, takes a staggering 165 Earth years.

When their orbits sync up just right, multiple planets can appear in our sky at the same time, forming what’s sometimes called a planetary parade, per BBC Future.

This alignment isn’t just a treat for the eyes — it’s also an exciting event for scientists.

"There is something special about looking at the planets with your own eyes," Jenifer Millard, a science communicator and astronomer at Fifth Star Labs in the UK, tells the BBC. "Yes, you can go on Google and get a more spectacular view of all these planets. But when you're looking at these objects, these are photons that have traveled millions or billions of miles through space to hit your retinas."

Do Planet Alignments Affect Earth?

Not really — but they might influence the Sun.

In 2019, Frank Stefani, a physicist at Helmholtz-Zentrum research center in Germany, suggested that the alignments of Venus, Earth, and Jupiter could play a role in the Sun’s mysterious 11-year solar cycle.

He theorized that their combined gravitational pull could create small internal rotations within the Sun, called Rossby waves, which might influence solar activity.

However, not everyone is convinced by Stefani's theory.

Robert Cameron, a solar scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, dismissed the idea, saying: "The observational evidence suggests that the planets directly causing the solar cycle just doesn't happen. There's no evidence of any synchronization."

How to See the Seven-Planet Alignment

Want to witness this cosmic phenomenon for yourself? Here’s what you need to know:

Which Planets Can You See?

• Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are bright enough to be visible to the naked eye.
• Uranus and Neptune require binoculars or a telescope.

Where to Look

The planets will form an arc across the sky rather than a perfect straight line, following the Sun’s path, also known as the ecliptic.

Saturn, Venus, and Jupiter will be the brightest, appearing as white points of light. Mars will have a distinct orange glow, while Uranus and Neptune may require exceptionally dark skies to be seen.

Best Time to Watch

• Throughout February, six planets are visible.
• On February 28, Mercury joins the lineup, making all seven planets visible.
• Saturn and Mercury will be the first to dip below the horizon, so catch them just after sunset.

Best Viewing Tips

• Find a location away from city lights to minimize light pollution.
• Use astronomy apps like Time and Date, Stellarium, or Sky Tonight for the best times and locations based on your area.
• If you have binoculars or a telescope, use them to spot Uranus and Neptune.

Don’t Miss It—Next Chance is in 2040

If you’ve ever wanted to witness a planetary parade, this is your chance.

The next opportunity to see such a spectacular alignment won’t come until 2040.

So mark your calendars for February 28, grab your telescope (or a pair of binoculars), and head to the darkest spot you can find—because the universe is putting on one incredible show.

Planet Alignments Have Shaped Space Exploration

These cosmic events aren’t just beautiful — they’ve played a crucial role in space exploration.

In 1966, NASA scientist Gary Flandro discovered that a rare planetary alignment would occur in 1977, allowing a spacecraft to visit Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune within just 12 years.

This led to NASA launching the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions, which took advantage of Jupiter’s gravity to slingshot outward, reducing travel time.

Voyager 2 became the only spacecraft in history to visit Uranus and Neptune, a feat that would have taken 30 years if launched just a few years later.

Beyond Our Solar System — How Planetary Alignments Help Us Discover Exoplanets

Alignments also play a key role in exoplanet discovery. The transit method, the most common way of finding planets beyond our Solar System, works by detecting dips in a star’s brightness when a planet crosses in front of it.

This is how scientists discovered the Trappist-1 system, located 40 light-years away.

Trappist-1 has seven Earth-sized planets, and their unique orbital resonance allows for periods where multiple planets align perfectly.

"When a planet with an atmosphere goes in front of a star, that alignment means the starlight goes through the planet, and the molecules and atoms in the planet's atmosphere absorb light at certain wavelengths," explains Jessie Christiansen, an astronomer at the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute. This allows scientists to identify gases like carbon dioxide and oxygen, giving insight into a planet’s habitability.

This really is a spectacle you won't want to miss!

Featured image credit: Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images