Planets Line Up This Week! See Jupiter, Mars, Saturn Together (Mercury and Venus, Too)

Skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere can get an eyeful of planets over the next few days, both before dawn and after sunset (provided the clouds of Winter Storm Quinn don't ruin the view).

Jupiter, Mars and Saturn will line up in the southeastern portion of the early-morning sky through Saturday (March 10), with the moon crashing the celestial party on these days as well, according to EarthSky.org. The moon will be close to Jupiter on Thursday morning (March 8), then mosey over next to Mars and Saturn on the following two days.

Venus and Mercury, meanwhile, will put on an evening show for the next few weeks, appearing close together low in the western sky just after the sun goes down.

"Mid-March will be a grand time to see Venus and Mercury, especially from the Northern Hemisphere," EarthSky wrote. "Mercury’s greatest eastern elongation — its greatest apparent distance from the sun on our sky’s dome — comes on March 15. This is Mercury’s best evening apparition of the year for the Northern Hemisphere."

And on March 18, the crescent moon will join these two planets near the horizon. So get out there and take a look!

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