Over the past few weeks, articles and reports have been published about this month’s “planetary alignment.” This celestial event is at its peak this week, and can be seen from WashU’s Crow Observatory, weather permitting.

“Alignment” is technically the correct term for what is happening this month, but not the way you might imagine it. The term evokes an image of all eight planets of the solar system lined up like ducks in a row. The image of celestial objects forming a straight line is actually called a “syzygy” (said like “si-zuh-gee” — and very fun to say aloud). While it’s exciting to imagine, the real thing looks quite different.

Here’s what’s really happening: Throughout the rest of January until mid-February, there will be a “planet parade” in the sky across North America. Six different planets, along with Earth, will lie on the same side of the sun, making all six observable in the night sky simultaneously.

Four planets — Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn — will shine bright enough to be visible with  the naked eye, while the other two — Uranus and Neptune — will be much dimmer and only visible using powerful telescopes. Although WashU’s on-campus telescope may be too old to clearly show planets like Neptune and Uranus, it offers the community a chance to view the closer planets in detail.

Senior Jordan Mackie, the manager of Crow Observatory, encouraged students, staff, and members of the public to come view this astronomical event using the University’s 165-year-old telescope.

“[The observatory] is for everyone. The whole idea is to share how fascinating and amazing the night sky is with other people,” Mackie said. “We’re one of few public observatories within a hundred-mile radius, so it’s really important that Crow exists, but it’s not often talked about.”

Mackie’s first visit to the observatory was accidental. “The way I actually found Crow [Observatory] was after taking a chem exam downstairs. It went horribly. I wandered around and climbed the stairs until I found myself there,” she said.

“It became a place to relax, learn some things, and put life in perspective,” Mackie said.

A cold winter and the beginning of a new semester can be a stressful time for WashU students. But events like this month’s planetary parade are important reminders to pause for a moment and simply look up.

Editor’s note: Ryan O’Connor works part-time at the Crow Observatory.