Pair of Celestial Events To Put On a Show Over West Tennessee

JACKSON, Tenn — This Saturday shortly after sunset, six of the eight planets will be visible above the horizon for roughly 90 minutes.

With the naked eye, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible. To see Uranus and Neptune, you’ll need the help of either binoculars or a telescope. All six planets will be visible right after sunset. Mercury will be the first to set shortly after 8:00 p.m. This is the last time we will have the opportunity to see six planets in a planetary parade until 2040.

Also, next Tuesday March 3, just before sunrise, a Total Lunar Eclipse will be visible across much of North America.

Lunar eclipses occur during full moons when the passes through the Earth’s shadow. The eclipse will begin at 2:44 a.m., and it will reach totality at 5:33 a.m. Totality will last roughly 58 minutes and end at 6:02 a.m. We will not get to see the eclipse wind down as the moon will set at 6:25 a.m.