Uranus will be visible from all over the UK this evening.
Lockdown 3.0 is well underway and while we may be getting used to life indoors, here’s a reason pretty compelling reason to head outside this evening. Uranus is set to grace the UK skies tonight and with any luck, we’ll be able to see the icy planet in all its glory. Uranus, Mars and the moon should also appear in a vertical line during this unmissable event. Forget Netflix, we’re watching the skies tonight.
While the planets are set to align just about the southwest horizon post-sunset, we’ll have the best chance at spotting this rare event as the evening grows darker. To be precise, the planets will reach their peak at 6:06 pm and will remain visible until just after 12:30 am, giving us plenty of time to step outside and admire the ‘meeting’.
The only catch is that you’ll most definitely need binoculars or a telescope to spot this wonderful event. If you happen to have a spare pair lying around, why not try your luck at witnessing perhaps the coolest event of January 2021? In order to spot Uranus tonight, first, locate the moon, and just above it, you should be able to see Mars. A third dot should become visible next to the Red Planet over the course of the evening, so keep your eyes peeled.
Dean Regas, the astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory, said “Uranus will be about 1.5 degrees down and to the left of Mars but will not be visible to the naked eye. You will need binoculars or a telescope to see it since it is almost two billion miles away.”