Five planets are moving toward a rare alignment, which will be visible from Earth this week. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn line up — in that order — for the first time since December 2004. On Friday, June 24, the phenomenon will be most visible to star observers.
While it is common to see a conjunction of three planets together, seeing five is rare, according to Sky & Telescope. The planets line up in their natural order from the Sun, which is also remarkable, says the scientific journal published by the American Astronomical Society.
The five so-called “naked-eye” planets were visible from June 3 and 4, and the formation could be seen with binoculars, but only for about half an hour, before Mercury was lost in sunlight.
Sky & Telescope says the best time to see the planets lined up on June 24 is 45 minutes before sunrise. It should be visible on the eastern horizon. The one with the telescopes
But on June 24 the display will be optimal. Even as the distance between Mercury and Saturn increases, it becomes easier to detect Mercury, making it easier to see the five planets, Diana Hannikainen, Sky & Telescope’s observer editor, told CBS News by mail. electronic.
Hannikainen said that the morning sky on the 24th “will present a charming vision” because the waning crescent moon will also join the procession between Venus and Mars.
The planets should be visible in the days leading up to this. Sky & Telescope says the best time to see the line on June 24 is 45 minutes before sunrise. It should be visible on the eastern horizon.
Four of the planets in plain sight have been aligned in recent months, according to NASA. But over the next few months, Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus will expand. In September, Venus and Saturn will no longer be visible to most observers.
Another astronomical phenomenon will be visible in June: the globular star cluster M13, a very compact spherical collection of stars. The M13, also known as the Hercules Cluster, contains thousands of stars, believed to be about 12 billion years old, almost the age of the universe, according to NASA.
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Caitlin O’Kane is a digital content producer who covers trend stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.