Five Different Planets Will Align In The Wisconsin Night Sky During An Incredibly Rare Display

While there are a lot of entertaining things happening in Wisconsin all year long, one of the blockbusters of the year will be free – all you have to do is look up. A rare celestial event is underway and it’s amazing – a chance to see five planets strung across the Wisconsin night sky in perfect order alongside the moon. It’s an incredibly rare occurrence and the perfect excuse to take a few moments to gaze to the cosmos. Here’s what you need to know to enjoy the planet parade in Wisconsin:

This celestial phenomenon will take place at sunset between March 25 and 30.

So, just what planets are visible tonight in Wisconsin? You will see Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Uranus, and Mars appear in sequential order alongside the moon.

The best place to watch is as far away as possible from the bright city lights.

But you can still see it if you can find a good open space. You'll be able to see part of the alignment with the naked eye, but not all of it so be sure to grab your binoculars or telescope to take in the views.

The stargazing is always pretty great in Wisconsin, especially if you can make it to rural areas.

One of those rural areas is the Northwoods. Here, every year stargazers are treated to sights like the Milky Way, meteor showers, comets, and more. But rarely does this year’s planetary display occur.

In fact, this special event only happens once every few years. Be sure to set your alarm so you don’t miss it!

Its a wonderful way to spend time with the family and stay away from technology for at least a little bit of time.

So how can you spot the planets?

The planets are bright relative to the stars so they are easy to spot. There are also a lot of great apps to help stargazers identify what’s above.

The best advice is just to sit back and enjoy the show!

According to professional astronomers, Venus will be the easiest to see because, after the sun and the moon, it's the third-brightest object in the sky.

This alignment is a truly rare event, so whether you are a novice sky gazer or faithful watcher, you won’t want to miss it! Just step outside, look towards the sunset, and enjoy the light show!

Did you head out at sunset to take in this rare five-planet alignment display? If so, what did you see? Did it capture your imagination? We’d love to read about your experience in the comments section below.

Another wonderful place to enjoy the night sky is along the Astronomy Trail in the Pike Lake Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. 

If you have the time, make plans to head to Newport State Park which has a very dark sky.

More stargazing and other activities can be found at several Wisconsin State Park campgrounds as shared in this video: