INDIA: The upcoming planetary alignment on March 28 is a highly anticipated event for astronomy enthusiasts. On this day, Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, and Venus are expected to align in a specific area of the sky, offering a rare sight for observers on Earth.
Venus will glow brighter and higher in the sky, while Mercury and Jupiter will be seen near the horizon and stand out because of their brightness.
While Mars should be visible in the first quarter of the moon without the need for any additional equipment, Uranus will require binoculars to observe.
Although it is common to spot a few planets in the sky at any given time, observing an alignment of five planets is relatively rare, with the last occurrences happening in 2020 and 2016.
Beth Biller from the University of Edinburgh notes that Venus and Jupiter will be the easiest planets to spot due to their brightness, while Mars will be a bit fainter but still visible with the naked eye.
Mercury will require a clear view of the horizon from a dark site, while Uranus will be the faintest and hardest to see, requiring binoculars or a telescope.
According to Rick Fienberg from Sky & Telescope, observing all five planets on March 28 may be challenging, especially if one’s location has an obstructed view of the western horizon or a cloudy sky.
However, he thinks that all five planets may be visible with binoculars. For those who miss the event, there will be other opportunities for planetary alignments later in the year, such as on April 2 and April 24.
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