Since Saturday March 25, a rare astronomical phenomenon has appeared before our eyes as Earthlings. Indeed, both Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Venus and Uranus are, by their positioning in the sky, aligned under the small satellite that is our Moon. This alignment, however, is only an optical effect observable from Earth. In reality, the planets in question appear as they are because they are all grouped relatively close to each other, on the same side of the Sun, as reported by our colleagues at Capital.
The evening when the phenomenon will be most visible will be this Tuesday, March 28. Indeed, the visibility of these stars is such that they will even be detectable with the naked eye, even when air and light pollution is rampant, particularly in large cities.
In order to see the famous arc, you will first need to locate Venus, often known as the Shepherd’s Star: it is very easy to identify, because it is the star that appears the brightest in the sky, after the Sun and the Moon obviously. Then you should be able to find Uranus nearby, as well as Mars, which will be in continuity with these two other planets, on an imaginary line rising in the sky at about 50°.
Once the planet Mars has been identified, often recognizable by its slightly reddish tint compared to the rather white colors emitted by the stars, you will need to look more towards the horizon. This is when you will be able to discern Jupiter, then Mercury.