As all five planets visible to the naked eye will appear together in the evening sky during the next few weeks, NIU’s Davis Hall Observatory will hold special viewing sessions from 6:30 to 10 p.m. today and March 26.

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter all can be seen by the unaided eye.

“We won’t have a better view of all five planets at once for more than 30 yea rs,” observatory manager Andrew Morrison said.

Mercury will be visible only during the early evening, so those who want to see all five planets should visit between 6:30 and 7 p.m., Morrison said.

The observatory will keep its normal hours from 8 to 10 p.m. each week on Tuesday and Thursday.

NIU’s department of physics operates the observatory, which is equipped with a high-powered Celestron 14-inch telescope, an 85-mm refracting telescope, binoculars and digital cameras.

Private viewings or group tours can be arranged by contacting Morrison at [email protected] or by calling the physics department at 753-1772.