It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, wait, it’s a planet!
Five planets, in fact. All you need to do is look up.
Tuesday evening, five planets – Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Uranus and Mars – will all gather within a 50-degree sky sector – in what will be a rare astronomical phenomenon, according to the website Starwalk.
And in the Chicago area, you’re in luck: The skies are likely to clear up just time to catch it. However, it wouldn’t hurt to have binoculars, or a telescope handy.
The planets – Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars – will come together on the western horizon, near the crescent moon, for a brief display after sunset. People almost anywhere on Earth with a westerly view and clear skies will be able to catch it.
Although the best day to see the full array is Tuesday, several of the planets will remain visible for the next two weeks. Jupiter, Venus and Mars will be the easiest to spot, as they shine brightly, according to Cooke. Mars will appear close to the moon, with a reddish glow, while Mercury and Uranus will appear dimmer and best viewed through binoculars.
But the view will be ephemeral; Mercury and Jupiter will quickly dip below the horizon around half an hour after sunset.
The planets aren’t actually close together – they are scattered across the solar system. It will just appear that way from our perspective on Earth. The phenomenon occurs when the planets are orbiting on the same side of the sun as Earth.
It is not uncommon for groups of planets to come together this way in earthly skies. Another five-planet array, with a slightly different lineup, will happen in June.
Still, it’s a worthy view. “You get to see pretty much the whole solar system in one night,” says Rory Bentley, a UCLA astronomer, told Popular Science.
What time can you see the planets align?
To see this five-planet alignment, look to the western horizon at sunset, experts advise.
Sunset times vary and can be calculated using Timeanddate.com’s sun calculator.
“If you go outside, right at sunset, right after the sun goes down and look west, you’ll see these planets strung out in a line extending about 50 degree.
Does This Happen Often?
Different numbers and groups of planets line up in the sky from time to time. There was a five-planet lineup last summer and there’s another one in June, with a slightly different makeup.
OVERVIEW
OnMyWay Is The #1 Distracted Driving Mobile App In The Nation!
OnMyWay, based in Charleston, SC, The Only Mobile App That Pays its Users Not to Text and Drive.
The #1 cause of death among young adults ages 16-27 is Car Accidents, with the majority related to Distracted Driving.
OnMyWay’s mission is to reverse this epidemic through positive rewards. Users get paid for every mile they do not text and drive and can refer their friends to get compensated for them as well.
The money earned can then be used for Cash Cards, Gift Cards, Travel Deals and Much, Much More….
The company also makes it a point to let users know that OnMyWay does NOT sell users data and only tracks them for purposes of providing a better experience while using the app.
The OnMyWay app is free to download and is currently available on both the App Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android @ OnMyWay; Drive Safe, Get Paid.
Download App Now – https://r.onmyway.com
Sponsors and advertisers can contact the company directly through their website @ www.onmyway.com
OnMyWay is the Only Texting and Driving Solution That Pays
Trusted and 
By Millions of OnMyWay Mobile App Users