Although these three planets can often be seen from Earth, it is unusual for them to come so close to each other. Oliver said that the last time they came close was in 2000, mainly because they were moving around the sun at different speeds.
“Mercury can go somewhere …” she said. ‘Because [Mercury and Jupiter] rotate more slowly, it will take longer before they get further apart. After the next few days, they will not all be in the same face level. ”
Jupiter will shine brightest and be visible at the top of the triangle, while Mercury and Saturn form its base angles, said Federica Spoto, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
The shape will be visible about 30 to 45 minutes after sunset just above the southwestern horizon, but do not be late. The trio disappears about 15 or 20 minutes after it arrives.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday and Sunday evenings will have a clear sky that is perfect for viewing the stars and planets. However, a few clouds could obscure the planetary trio on Monday night.
“As always, it’s best to find dark places where the bright lights of the city will not affect visibility,” Spoto said. “Make sure you do not have a landscape that covers the horizon.”
Anna Frebel, an astronomer and associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said you can see the planets better with binoculars, or by zooming in on them with your cell phone camera.
“Everything is moving, albeit slowly, and we are having the opportunity to see the soft parts of our planetary neighbors,” Frebel said. “For people who are not yet in the night sky, this is an excellent opportunity to watch … the many moons of Jupiter and the wonderful rings of Saturn.”
Saturday will also be the last night where Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, even though binoculars may already be needed for Saturn, Spoto said. In the next few days, both planets will disappear from the night sky for a few months.
These three will not be as close together as the connection between Jupiter and Saturn was in December. During the event, the two planets were as large as the thickness of a cent held at arm’s length, Oliver said.
This weekend, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn will be about five degrees apart, or the distance between your ring finger, middle finger and index finger when you stand against the sky, she says.
“It’s so much different to see it with your own two eyes than through photos or live streams, of which tomorrow night will be enough,” Oliver said. “It’s just so much more wonderful to see it that way.”
The last planetary trio was in 2015, and one under Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will take place on February 13, Spoto said. After that, another trio will only be seen in April 2026, when Mercury, Mars and Saturn will come close to each other.
“In the old days, people looked at the sky because they thought it could affect their lives,” Spoto said. “We now know this is not how it works, because the positions of the planets do not affect our lives, but it does not make these events any less beautiful.”
Caroline Enos can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @CarolineEnos.