Starting Friday, a rare lineup of the five naked-eye planets in our solar system will appear in the sky, and hang out there through the end of the month.
Early risers will be able to see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn just before the sun rises throughout June, according to Sky & Telescope, a magazine published by the American Astronomical Society.
“While seeing two or three planets close together (in what’s known as a conjunction) is a rather common occurrence, seeing five is somewhat more rare,” said the publication.
“And what’s even more remarkable about this month’s lineup is that the planets are arranged in their natural order from the Sun.”
The last time all five planets were visible together in the sky from Earth was more than 17 years ago, in December 2004. This time, Mercury and Saturn appear closer together.
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Two out of the eight planets in the solar system, Neptune and Uranus, are not visible to the naked eye from Earth.
The planets will hang low in the east, moving higher in the south, and Mercury will be the toughest one to catch. During the early days of June, sky gazers should grab binoculars and make sure their view is unobstructed for a chance to see it in the string of celestial bodies.
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As we get deeper into the month, Mercury will begin to shine brighter and climb higher.
Key dates for viewing the parade of planets are Saturday (June 4), when the separation between Mercury and Saturn will be at its smallest, and June 24, when a waning crescent moon shimmies in between Venus and Mars, in the same position Earth would be in if it were a true lineup of out solar system’s planets.
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