A once-in-nearly-20-years planetary alignment has formed in the night sky, and while it will be visible through the end of June, witnessing the show may be challenging and involve sacrificing some sleep.
Every morning through the end of June, observers may view Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn lined up in a planetary procession above the eastern horizon. Early risers will have several opportunities to take in the splendor of the planetary quintet throughout this protracted spectacle.
According to Sky & Telescope magazine, the last time all five of these planets were visible in the night sky at the same time was in 2004, the same year that Facebook was founded and three years before the launch of the first iPhone.
Although it is not necessary to use a telescope to view the unusual gathering of planets this month, it may be challenging to see all five, even in ideal circumstances.
Through the end of the month, cloudless mornings will provide the ideal viewing conditions for the planets’ parade. This entails stepping outdoors before 5 a.m. local time to gaze upward, as June has some of the year’s earliest sunrises.
Before the moon’s early-morning arrival in late June, several photographers managed to get pictures of the alignment
Mercury will completely disappear from the morning sky as June draws to a close and July takes its place on the calendar. Throughout the month of July, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will continue to be conspicuous planets rising before the sun, though they will become further dispersed.
The next time Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn appear in this sequence from Earth’s perspective isn’t until August 2040, though it won’t be quite as spectacular. In 2040, the five planets will be clustered closer together, but because Mercury will be nearer the sun than it is now, it will be much more challenging to see it.
Image Credits: Alan Duffy
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