Wichitans will be able to see a 5-planet alignment this week. Here’s when to look up

Meredith Howard
·2 min read

For a fun evening activity this week, make sure to check out Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Uranus line up in the night sky.

The planetary alignment should be visible in Wichita for a few days, but one evening will offer the best views, according to Star Walk. The formation will be “especially rare,” People Magazine reports, because it includes Uranus, which is usually difficult to see.

The last planetary lineup took place in June, with Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. That particular alignment may not occur again until 2040.

Here’s when to see the five planets align in the night sky this week.

When’s the best time to see the lineup in Wichita?

For the best glimpse at this event, the Associated Press reports skygazers should look to the western horizon right after sunset Tuesday.

The sun will set at approximately 7:48 p.m. in Wichita Tuesday.

“Your best option is looking out over a water horizon that is perfectly flat and wide open with nothing to block your view. Another option is a large field with no trees or buildings,” the Farmers’ Almanac says.

It’s ideal to find an area without light pollution, and NASA advises stargazers to head at least 20 to 30 miles from city limits. You will probably need a pair of binoculars to spot Mercury and Uranus, according to AP, but Venus, Jupiter and Mars should be visible to the naked eye.

Wichita stargazers should have “mostly clear” skies Tuesday night, though it may be on the chilly side. The National Weather Service Wichita office forecasts a low around 33 degrees.

Although it won’t be open Tuesday, you can stop by Lake Afton Public Observatory in Goddard from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations are accepted but not required, and admission is $8 for adults, $4 for children ages 5 to 13 and $7 for seniors.

If you miss March’s planetary alignment, Star Walk reports you can see Mercury, Uranus, Venus and Mars align the evening of April 11.

Full moons in 2023

After March’s planetary alignment, be sure to check out the full moon in early April, as well as supermoons later on in the year.

Here’s the rest of this year’s full moon calendar, with information from Space.com:

  • April 6: Pink moon

  • May 5: Flower moon

  • June 3: Strawberry moon

  • July 3: Buck supermoon

  • Aug. 1: Sturgeon supermoon

  • Aug. 30: Blue supermoon (appears biggest and brightest of the year)

  • Sept. 29: Harvest supermoon

  • Oct. 28: Hunter’s moon

  • Nov. 27: Beaver moon

  • Dec. 26: Cold moon

Full moons have multiple names, and many come from Indigenous cultures. The Farmers’ Almanac uses Indigenous moon names, along with monikers from colonial America and other North American sources.