HOUSTON — A rare planet alignment is expected to happen Tuesday, March 28.
If you look west, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars will be stacked on top of one another.
The best time for seeing the alignment will be 20 to 30 minutes after sunset. However, the window for viewing will be brief as the planets are expected to set below the horizon an hour after sunset.
In Southeast Texas, the weather, unfortunately, will minimize the viewing chances. Mainly cloudy conditions are expected.
But regardless of the forecast, if you plan on viewing the alignment you'll want to be out of the city and away from any tall buildings and trees to maximize the visibility of the sky near the horizon.
It won't be the only planetary alignment of 2023. There will be several smaller ones that include fewer than five planets. It just so happens that the alignment this March will be the largest evening alignment of at least five planets.
Other alignments ahead this year:
- April 11 & 24 - Small alignment of Mars, Venus, Uranus and Mercury.
- May 29 - Small alignment of Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury and Uranus.
- June 17 - Small alignment of Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Mercury and Uranus.
- July 26 - Small alignment of Mars, Venus and Mercury.
- August 24 - Small alignment of Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter and Uranus.
The next most impressive planetary alignment is on track to arrive on Sept. 8, 2040. That's when five planets will join the crescent moon in the sky for another beautiful display that is sure to please the eye.