FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Attention astronomy fans: This week you have the opportunity to see all of the planets in the night sky — but you’ll have to be lucky and have some special equipment.
The reason we have the chance to see all the planets is that they are lining up on the same side of the sun in their orbits around it.
Some planets, though, are likely to be too low in the night sky for you to see them. Saturn and Mercury will be just above the horizon, but trees and houses may block your view. You will have to find a very open area to make viewing possible.
If you want to see Uranus and Neptune, a telescope will be needed, as they are too dim and distant to otherwise be seen.
Here’s a look at where the planets will line up in the night sky.
Viewing will be the most optimal an hour past sunset this week. Notice Mars, Jupiter, and Venus are the most clear, with difficulties in viewing the other planets. See the chart below for the positioning of the planets and what direction to look.
This line-up of the planets is fairly common and can happen at least every year depending on the number of planets.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
