(Daily360.com) – Stargazers will rejoice about a rare occurrence coming soon. If you’re within the eastern horizon and the sky is clear you will be able to see five planets at one time.
You can gaze upon Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn approximately one hour before the June 17 sunrise. Watchers will need a telescope or at least binoculars to see them all but Jupiter, Mercury and Saturn should be visible with the naked eye if you’re in the right spot with ideal clear sky conditions.
This event is called a ‘planetary parade’ or ‘planetary alignment’ and occurs when several planets line up to be visible at once. The occurrence isn’t common but neither is it extremely rare; the next event will take place in April of 2024. This year’s alignment will occur in what is referred to as a ‘93-degree sector’ which means you will be looking at a small piece of sky to see the planets. Saturn will be the first visible planet, rising on the night of June 16.. To see it, viewers should look to the constellation of Aquarius. Jupiter will be in the Aries constellation and Mercury will be in Taurus.
For a hopeful gazer in the United States the best time would be June 17 prior to the 12:37am new moon. However, the spot you choose will be most important assuming you’re lucky enough to get a cloudless clear sky. You’ll also need to make sure you’re either as high up as you can get or in a place with no obstructions blocking the view to the 93-degree sector.
Lay people should look to the non-twinkling bodies; stars twinkle but planets hold a steady shine. If you don’t want to wait, Mercury will be visible in the Taurus constellation late in the coming week. The planetary parade won’t have any kind of effect on Earth as ‘lining up’ is all perceptually relative to where one is located.
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