End of March 2023, stargazers will have the opportunity to witness a rare celestial event as five planets, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Uranus, will be visible in a line in the night sky.
Interestingly, as astro photographers, this is the best time to add one photo for our rare collection.
By the way, the best day to watch this amazing parade is on the evening of, (soon after the sunset) March 27th, 2023, though this last until 31st March 2023.
Scientifically, this planetary alignment also called conjunction, since this occurs when planets appear to be in close proximity to one another from our perspective on Earth.
Recently, I saw many news about this amazing event in social media. For an instance, the tweet from Dr. Buzz Aldrin.
Don’t forget to look to the sky the end of the month for the planetary alignment which will have at least five planets – plus the moon – all visible in almost an arc shape as seen from Earth. https://t.co/9OINapk8fe
— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) March 16, 2023
Best Place to watch this five-planet parade
To observe the event, you should look towards the western horizon after sunset, where the planets will be visible on the lower horizon.
You may see the Venus at a glance, because it is the brightest of the planets, followed by Jupiter and Mercury.
Mars and Uranus will be much fainter and may require binoculars or a telescope to see.
More importantly, you should find a place with lesser or no light pollution. By the way, if you want to use a light filter, I have a guide on best light pollution filters for galaxies.
Moreover, if you want to capture this event with a nice landscape, you can read my guide on landscape astrophotography.
This alignment of five planets is a rare occurrence and will not happen again until the year 2036. So, don’t miss this unique opportunity to witness a stunning display of planetary alignment in the night sky.
Indians witness this amazing event before the Americans and Europeans. Following is a shot of this rare event by an Indian.
In this image, all the planets are marked in order, so, it may help you to identify each planet when you witness this event.
This image captured the planet Saturn apart from the five other planets. Besides, “E” and “S” stand for the Earth and the Sun respectively.
FAQs
What are the five planets I may see?
Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Uranus
When, at what time and where I can see these five planets?
From 27th to 31st of March 2023, just after the sun set, in the western horizon
What are the equipment I need?
A binoculars or a telescope to observe the fainter planets, Mars and Uranus.
Can I watch this with naked eye?
Yes, but Mars and Uranus may seem less bright.
Can I photograph this five planets alignment?
Yes, I listed out some of the articles on this blog, hope they will be helpful to capture this rare event.
Justin Parker is a professional photographer and has been in the industry since 2007. He attended the University of Georgia. Justin combines his passion for photography and his interest in writing to give life to this blog which talks about photography in order to help and inspire young photographers.
