Stargazers can witness a rare alignment of six planets on June 3, best viewed before sunrise from dark, elevated locations. (Artist’s illustration of 6 planets in the sky.) Credit: SciTechDaily.com
On June 3, an alignment of six planets—Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—will be visible shortly before sunrise from dark, high vantage points with minimal light pollution. This rare event requires optical aids to view all planets.
Stargazers will have an incredible opportunity to look for six planets in Earth’s solar system on June 3. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will appear, from some dark, weather-free vantage points on Earth, to form a more-or-less straight line in the night sky – but it’ll take some optical assistance to see them all.
The alignment is a bit of an illusion, astronomers are quick to point out, given the widely varying elliptical path of each planet’s orbit around the Sun. But the uncommon arrangement could prove captivating indeed – if local weather does not interfere.
Best Viewing Times and Locations
The planetary alignment is likely to be most visible 30-60 minutes before sunrise, looking east from a dark, high vantage point with minimal light pollution and an unobstructed view of the complete horizon.
“If you were somewhere out in space other than on Earth, these planets would not appear aligned at all,” said Dr. Alphonse Sterling, astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “It is not unusual to see two or three lined up, but to have six of them line up like this is uncommon.”
Astronomers and stargazers around the world should be on the lookout before dawn on June 3 for a “planetary parade,” a loose alignment of six of our neighboring worlds: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus – though the latter two will require high-powered binoculars or a telescope to spot. Credit: NASA/Night Sky Network
Viewing Tips for the Planetary Alignment
Mars and Saturn will be identifiable with the naked eye, and Mercury and Jupiter may also be spotted close to the horizon. To add Neptune and Uranus to the lineup, however, will require the use of a telescope or high-powered binoculars.
“You can see it basically anywhere there isn’t a ton of light pollution,” Sterling said. “You just need a clear view looking east. Jupiter and Mercury will be the last to join, rising just above the horizon. You won’t see six bright dots lined up. In the best circumstances, you can see Jupiter, Mercury and Mars and Saturn. You’ll need binoculars or a telescope for the others.”
Future Opportunities and Rare Alignments
Alignments of six planets happen infrequently, depending on the orbit and position of each planet as seen from Earth. Indeed, we may see an encore performance later this year. The same rough alignment of six planets could be visible in the pre-dawn hours of August 28 and again on January 18, 2025.
That’s certainly more common than a full planetary alignment, in which all eight planets in our solar system would appear to fall into approximate formation on the same side of the Sun. Given all the factors involved, including the orbital plane, speed, and distance of each planet, estimates suggest it would take more than 300 billion years to happen just once.
That’s longer than the estimated lifetime of our parent star, so don’t wait up.
Recent Skywatching Highlights
The planetary alignment is the latest skywatching event in a recent period rife with them. Space enthusiasts enjoyed a total solar eclipse on April 8 and a rare sighting in May of the aurora borealis over parts of the continental United States – the result of an uncommonly large geomagnetic storm.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
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