Three-planet conjunction takes place in night sky through early next week

PITTSBURGH — Skygazers rejoice! A three-planet conjunction is taking place through the evening of Jan. 11.

According to NASA, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn will appear in the night sky, and the trio should be visible without binoculars. The best time to view will be around dusk, in the western sky and low on the horizon. Make sure to look for the trio in the 30 minutes after sunset because beyond this time, they will fall below the horizon.

The planets will be closest together on Sunday, Jan. 10. Jupiter will appear the brightest, followed by Mercury and then Saturn.

The sky will need to be clear and you’ll need to get away from city lights to be able to view the conjunction. The weather forecast in western PA the next few nights will feature dry conditions but there will be some clouds around. Perhaps there may be enough breaks in the clouds to see the planets.

Happy spotting!

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