Five planets will line up in the skies above WA state. Here’s how to view the rare event

Look up in the sky above Washington state this weekend, and you might see something that hasn’t been around in almost a year.

On Tuesday, a large planetary alignment involving five planets will streak across our sky. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will appear to be in a near-straight line, according to Star Walk Space.

The last time multiple planets lined up in a similar pattern was in early June 2022, when Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus aligned across the sky.

Although Tuesday evening is the best time to see the alignment, stargazers can witness the event several days before and after Tuesday. Here’s what to know about the rare solar occurrence.

What is planetary alignment?

Planetary alignment, also known as a conjunction between two planets, is, in essence, an optical illusion. The planets of the solar system all move around the same orbital plane, according to National Geographic, so when several planets are on the same side of the sun as Earth, it looks as if they’re close together.

In reality, the planets are hundreds of millions of miles apart. Sometimes several planets can be on the same side of the sun as Earth but not align due to their orbital positions.

But when they do, it creates a magnificent sight in the sky.

How to spot the alignment

Most of the alignment over the next few days can be viewed with the naked eye, but telescopes or a pair of binoculars would be helpful.

Venus, Mars and Jupiter can all be viewed easily with the naked eye, according to The Farmers’ Almanac. Mercury can also be seen with the naked eye, but due to its proximity to the sun, it can be seen only right after sunset or before dawn, meaning those would be the best moments to see the entire alignment.

Uranus is so far away — 1.9 billion miles — that unless you’re in an area protected from light pollution like Washington’s many national and state parks, you’ll need a magnification device.

Viewing the alignment in Washington

While the alignment peak is on Tuesday, March 28, the best chance — and perhaps only chance — for Washingtonians to view it is on Sunday night, March 26. The planets aren’t moving anywhere quickly, and they’ll still be visible in a line for several days on either side of Tuesday, according to Star Walk Space.

Sunday night is the only night with mostly clear skies in the forecast for most of Washington, according to the National Weather Service.

The Puget Sound region will experience rain and snow through Sunday during the day before the system clears out, leading to calmer weather on Sunday night into Monday. A secondary low-pressure system will move into the region Monday night and last through the rest of the week.

Eastern Washington’s best chances will also be Sunday night. Although the region isn’t forecast any storms until Monday night, clouds will likely spoil the view on Saturday night before clearing out by Sunday.