Science Meets the Supernatural: March's Night Sky Hasn't Looked Like This in Thousands of Years

Once in a great while, the sky stops being background and becomes the story. A total lunar eclipse turned the moon blood red in the early hours of Tuesday, and what follows it over the next four weeks is something no living person has witnessed before.

A planetary alignment of six worlds. A cosmic conjunction that last occurred before recorded history. An astrological new year is arriving with more force than it has carried in centuries. The science is extraordinary. The deeper meaning is more extraordinary still.

The Six-Planet Parade: A Rare Convergence of Forces

A sweeping planetary alignment that began in late February continues into early March, with Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune stretched across the sky along the same orbital plane. Venus and Jupiter are bright enough to spot easily with the naked eye. Uranus and Neptune are fainter and worth hunting down with binoculars. Look up just after twilight for the best view of all six at once.