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Tonight, a very unique celestial event is scheduled to take over our sky as five planets—Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus and Venus—will light up near the moon and shine bright from right above us.
Given the pollution and skyscrapers that define life in the city, New York isn't usually the ideal place to catch such a magnificent spectacle, but there are certainly ways for you to maximize your chances of witnessing the whole thing with your bare eyes.
We reached out to astrophysicist Dr. Jackie Faherty, the senior scientist and education manager at the American Museum of Natural History, to learn more about the historical planet alignment and get some tips on how to properly see it from this side of the world.
When should we be looking up to catch the planet alignment?
"Right after sunset [tonight]," explains Dr. Faherty. "Mercury and Jupiter are setting first (Jupiter a few minutes before Mercury) and that happens right around 8pm. Venus, Mars and Uranus are up for much longer but if you are looking for the planet parade you need to be outside at sunset and getting your eyes adjusted. Venus will be the easiest planet to spot but you will want to try and catch Jupiter close to the Western horizon and then squint like crazy to catch Mercury (you'll probably need binoculars for that one)."
What's the best spot within the city to see the spectacle?
As a general statement, explains Dr. Faherty, “the darker the sky, the better.”
Also, if you really want to see Mercury and Jupiter, you’ll want to guarantee yourself a clear view toward the western horizon. “They are really close to setting as the sun sets so it’s a race to catch them as it gets dark and they get lower,” she says.
You might, therefore, actually want to consider stepping out of the city for a bit and perhaps spending the night in the suburbs, where accessing a wide open sky might prove to be a bit easier. Central Park, albeit away from trees, is a good option as well!
Any other tips we should keep in mind?
Dr. Faherty is quick to note that this isn't "a one-and-done kind of experience" since the planets are in an orbit and you can therefore see different ones throughout the year in a sort of rotation.
“Don’t forget to keep looking up each night!” she advises.