What planets can I see tonight? When five planets converge again and your guide through the UK night sky

This week, stargazers witnessed an unusual celestial event as five planets lined up in an arc in the night sky.

Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars were visible to the naked eye along with the Moon at a rare astronomical moment sometimes referred to as the “parade of the planets”.

Here’s what happened and for those who missed when it might happen again.

What happened in the night sky on Monday?

The five planets Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars appeared to line up with the Moon in an arc across the sky visible to the naked eye on Monday evening.

Clear skies, a good view of the horizon, and no light pollution were the best ways to watch the event.

Professor Katherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal of Scotland, who watched the spectacle from Portobello Beach in Edinburgh, told the BBC: “Seeing the planets on a crystal clear night with so many other Planet Alignment enthusiasts was an absolute delight!”

Astronomer Jake Foster of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, said the planets don’t really line up, “but from our point of view, they sometimes get so close together in the sky that we can see several at once.”

Are they still visible in the night sky?

There is good news for those who missed the Alien event.

Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer Anna Gammon-Ross told Sky News that Mercury and Venus should still be visible for a while.

She said Mercury would be easier to see by April 11th and Venus by June 4th.

Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will be harder to spot because they set earlier each night, meaning they will be visible in the night sky for less time.

It’s best to catch them with binoculars or a telescope over the next few days, Ms. Gammon-Ross said.

When will the planetary alignments be back?

According to astronomy app Star Walk, the next minor planetary alignment will occur on the evening of April 11 and 24, when Mercury, Uranus, Venus and Mars will be visible.

A slight morning alignment of Uranus, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn can be seen on May 29 in the 70-degree sector of the sky.

Then, on June 17, the main morning alignment of Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn will be visible within a 95-degree sector of the sky.

Another mini-alignment of Mercury, Venus and Mars can be seen in the 15-degree sector of the sky on the evening of July 26th.

And at sunset on August 24 and 24, there will be an established mini-alignment of Mercury and Mars and rising Saturn within a 175 degree sector of the sky, and then in the evening a slight alignment of Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn within a sector of the sky. 80-degree sector of the sky. -degree sector of the sky.

Anyone looking forward to Big Sky events should mark the evening of September 8, 2040 around 7:30 pm on their calendar.

By then, five planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) will be visible to the naked eye within a 9-degree circle in the sky, according to Star Walk.

A crescent moon, located between Venus and Saturn, will also be visible.