Before April 8 solar eclipse, watch the sky for a planetary alignment
Four planets are set to align in April this year, but will the alignment coincide with the total solar eclipse passing over 13 states next month?
On April 4, 2024, four planets will align on the same side of the sun as Earth. According to Star Walk, an astronomy app and developer, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Neptune will be visible. While full planetary alignments are rare, the alignment or three to six planets happens often. In 2024 and 2025, there will be a total of six planetary alignments consisting of five or more planets.
While the events are not happening on the same day, both astronomical events are occurring days apart from one another.
Here is what we know about the upcoming planetary alignment and eclipse.
What is planetary alignment?
Planetary alignment is an astronomical term used to describe when several planets gather closely on one side of the sun. The planets will form a line, but it is almost never a straight line as the orbits are not the same.
There are four different kinds of planetary alignments. Each is dependent upon the number of planets involved in the alignment.
h Mini planetary alignment: three planets
h Small planetary alignment: four planets
h Large planetary alignment: five to six planets
h Full or great planetary alignment: all planets
What is the best way to see the aligned planets?
Regardless of what planetary alignment you are trying to see, it is recommended to start viewing an hour before
local sunrise as that is when they are most visible.
During this alignment. Mars will be the first visible planet about an hour before sunrise. After Mars, Saturn will rise shortly. Neptune and Venus will be visible about the same time after Saturn.
Will there be other planetary alignments this year?
In 2024, there will be a total of four planetary alignments. All of them, except for the April 4 alignment will be large alignments.
h On April 20, there will be a planetary gathering of five planets: Venus, Mercury, Neptune, Mars and Saturn.
h On June 7, there will be a planetary alignment of six planets: Mercury, Jupiter,
Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn.
h On Aug. 28, there will be a planetary gathering of six planets: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn.
In 2025, there will be three planetary alignments with one including all planets. The last time all eight planets were aligned was on Dec. 28, 2022.
h On Jan. 18, 2025, there will be six planets in the alignment: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn.
h On Feb. 28, 2025, all planets will be on the same side of the sun for a great planetary alignment.
h On Aug. 29, 2025, there will be a planetary alignment of six planets: Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn.
When is the 2024 solar eclipse?
The total solar eclipse will take place on Monday, April 8. It is set to pass through 13 total states during midday. It is the first total solar eclipse to occur in the United States since the 2017 eclipse. For most localities, the eclipse will peak between 1 and 2 p.m. CST.
In the U.S., the first major city the eclipse hits is Dallas, Texas. From there, it continues through the bottom corner of Oklahoma, through central Arkansas, southern Missouri, western Kentucky, southern Illinois, central Indiana, northern Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania, northern New York, northern Vermont, northern New Hampshire and central Maine.