PASCO, Wash. – Sky watchers have a unique opportunity to witness a celestial event as seven planets align in the night sky. This rare planetary parade is visible starting tonight and will continue until March 3.
The alignment includes Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, which can be seen with the naked eye. For those interested in spotting Uranus and Neptune, a telescope will be necessary.
Prisco Blanco, the planetarium director at Columbia Basin College, emphasized the excitement of viewing the planets, especially for those new to astronomy.
“They’re pretty cool to look at in the night sky,” Blanco said. “It’s one of those few opportunities that we do get to see all the other planets. Especially if you’re getting into astronomy, and you bought that new telescope over Christmas, it is a great time to kind of get involved in that. That’s usually a good stepping stone for those who want to get into astronomy to start with the planets.”
For the best viewing experience, Blanco recommends finding a spot facing south with minimal light pollution and a clear view of the horizon. Despite the name “planetary parade,” Blanco explained how the natural phenomenon works.
“The planets aren’t actually aligned,” Blanco said. “They’re kind of just grouped together in our field of view from where we are in the solar system. And so for us, because we view the sky as sort of this 2D plane, it begins to look like it’s lined up in the sky. In reality, it’s not.”
The planetary parade offers slightly different alignments each night, providing a unique spectacle for astronomy enthusiasts.
The Columbia Basin College Planetarium will host a “Celestial Wonders” event on March 8 in English and March 15 in Spanish. More information about the event can be found here.
