5 planets align in night sky this week

Get out the telescope, a pair of binoculars or just look up for an amazing interplanetary display.

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Tuesday night marks the best night of a planetary parade or alignment, CNN reported.

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will be on display this week just after sunset.

The alignments are not rare, but it is still a sight to see, even by the naked eye in urban areas that have a lot of lights.

The best way to see the alignment, however, is in an area where there are no tall buildings or trees, or any other obstructions looking west, Space.com suggests.

To see the alignment this year, look just under the crescent moon when the sky is dark blue but not totally black.

You’ll be able to see Venus, which is commonly called the “evening star.” Uranus will be near Venus, but you’ll probably need a telescope or binoculars to really make it out unless you’re in an area with no light pollution. Jupiter and Mercury will be next in line, just above the horizon. You may also need a telescope or binoculars to see Mercury too because the sun’s glare can make it difficult to see. Mars will be the final planet in the line. An astrophysicist said to look for the planet that appears orange, according to CNN.

Jupiter and Mercury will also only be visible for a short time — about 25 to 30 minutes, Space.com said.

The best type of binoculars to view the alignment, according to Space.com, is a 7x35 or 7x50 pair, meaning that the magnification is 7.

There will be other planetary alignments this year, including one on April 11 and on August 24. A five-planet alignment made up of Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn will be visible on June 17, CBS News reported.

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