5 Planets Parade Across The Late March Sky: When To See Them In PA

PENNSYLVANIA — Grab a pair of binoculars and make it a point to be outside around sunset Monday and for a few days after. With a favorable weather forecast in Pennsylvania, we’ll see a rare celestial parade of five planets, a crescent moon and a star cluster in the western sky.

The alignment — led by the star cluster Messier 35 from the left, followed by Mars, the moon, Uranus, Venus, Jupiter and Mars — starts about 20 minutes after sunset. Monday and Tuesday are the best nights to see it.

Sunset is around 7:18 or 7:19 p.m. in the most eastern parts of Pennsylvania on Monday and Tuesday. In western PA, closer to Pittsburgh, the sun sets at 7:38 p.m. Monday and 7:39 p.m. Tuesday.

Right now, the forecast is “tricky” in terms of rain or cloud cover in PA on Monday and Tuesday nights, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. A series of storms could move through the region both Monday and Tuesday night, and AccuWeather is watching a “potential Northeast snowstorm” next week.

Timing is everything. Venus doesn’t set until about 10:15 p.m. local time, but the views of Jupiter and Mercury are fleeting. “It will be important to catch them as soon as possible, before they disappear over the western horizon,” the Farmers’ Almanac wrote, adding the plants appear “to chase after the Sun.”

The planetary parade is a pretty big deal for folks fascinated by what goes on in the heavens.

Former Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin tweeted about it. “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.”

“I love that a guy who walked on the moon still looks up at the night sky and says, “Wow, that’s really cool.” ” one person said in response to Aldrin’s tweet.

One user pointed out that, technically, the alignment includes six planets, tweeting, “Everyone forgets to count Earth.”

“You just have to look down to see the sixth one,” someone else tweeted.

• Related: 2023 Guide To Meteor Showers, Supermoons And Full Moons

If you do plan to take it in, scout out a good location ahead of time. An unobstructed view from a perfectly flat vantage point with no obstructions is ideal, according to the Farmers’ Almanac, which recommends a water horizon. Just make sure there aren’t a lot of trees or buildings in the way. The darker the sky, the better.

The moon, Venus, Mars and Jupiter should be easy to spot and are worth a trip outside to see on their own, the Farmers’ Almanac said, but to see Mercury and Uranus, you may need binoculars or a telescope. Binoculars don’t have to be expensive; the type birders use should work.

This story contains reporting from Patch’s national desk.