Parade of the planet. Feast of the planet. Planeta-palooza. Whatever you want to call it, in June there will be a beautiful line of planets visible in the early morning sky. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are the stars of the show, but you can also get lucky and find Mercury.
Your first main viewing opportunity arrives on the mornings of June 3rd and 4th. “The five planets in plain sight will line up in the dawn sky in June. Not only that, they will also be in the right order from the sun,” Sky & Telescope said in a statement on Tuesday.
Venus passing through Saturn should be easy to see if the sky is clear. Mercury is the wildcard. Sky & Telescope recommends using binoculars and finding a place with a clear view to the east. Just make sure to get out at least 30 minutes before sunrise. Check with Timeanddate.com to find your local sunrise time.
The planet festival will continue throughout the month. A NASA chart from the agency’s What’s Up sky observation guide shows what to look for in mid-June about 45 minutes before sunrise.
NASA shows how Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will line up about 45 minutes before sunrise in mid-June.
NASA.JPL-Caltech
Make a note of your calendar on June 23, when the crescent moon will join the online dance. If you go out 45 minutes before sunrise, you should see it near Mars.
Sky & Telescope calls the morning of June 24 as another good opportunity to see Mercury along with the other planets. Mercury, the closest planet to the sun in our solar system, should be brighter and easier to find right now. If you go crazy, just one morning this month, choose the 24th so you can catch both Mercury and the moon as they join the other planets to make a chain of celestial gems.
This Sky and Telescope chart is your guide to seeing five planets 45 minutes before sunrise on June 24th. Note that Mercury is in the lower left corner.
The one with the telescopes
Think of the planets as Pokémon this month and try to collect them all. Most should be easy to see, but Mercury is like Noibat, a rarer prize. And if you’re not a morning person, that’s fine too. Instead, you can take out your night owl to catch the supermoon. Technically, it will be full on the morning of June 14, but it will be full at night on both sides of that date. Enjoy the show.