Rare Event Will Put Every Planet In The Solar System Into View Tonight, How To Watch

Skywatchers will be able to view all the planets in our Solar System on the same night. Those wanting to get an early sneak peek can join a live broadcast by The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 later today.

December has been chock full of celestial events for skywatchers to enjoy. Those who love to admire the Moon were treated to it being fully lit for the final time this year, known as the Full Cold Moon. The very next night, Mars took center stage as it stood in opposition to the Sun and was visible all night. The middle of the month saw the night sky get lit up with fireballs, as the Geminid meteor shower gave skywatchers the opportunity to view anywhere from 60 to 120 shooting stars per hour. Now, the end of December is proving to be just as exciting as all the planets in our Solar System will be viewable on the same night.


The Solar Grand Tours event will be presented by The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 at 11 a.m. EST today. You can join in on the live broadcast via the YouTube link above.

Being able to view all the planets on the same night is a unique experience. All of the planets in our Solar System will be visible together: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be easily viewable with the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune will be able to be viewed with a pair of binoculars.

"It happens from time to time, but it is always a spectacular sight," Gianluca Masi stated to Newsweek concerning the upcoming event. He added that while being able to view all the planets isn't particularly rare, it does make for a remarkable skywatching opportunity.

Earlier this year, skywatchers were privy to being able to view five planets at the same time. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were all viewable in a rare alignment that had not occurred since 1864.