A rare parade of five planets will take place this weekend: how and when to see it

According to StarWalk, a rare alignment of five planets will take place in the night sky this week. To observe this natural phenomenon, you need to have clear skies, easy access to the eastern horizon, and possibly binoculars or a telescope to see all five planets.

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The fascinating event will be available early in the morning on June 17, about an hour before sunrise. First, you should pay attention to the bright object that will be near the eastern horizon, which is Jupiter, the brightest of the five planets, and is the easiest to spot without additional devices.

Then, slightly up and to the right, you will be able to observe Saturn above the southeastern horizon. It will be less bright, but still visible without any magnifying device.

After that, you should look below and to the left of Jupiter, where Mercury will be just above the horizon, between the eastern and northeastern horizons. But keep in mind that Neptune and Uranus will be more difficult to observe, as they are the most distant and faintest planets in the sky. To observe them, you may need binoculars or a telescope, especially if the sky is not very clear and light polluted.

Neptune will be located roughly midway between Jupiter and Saturn, while Uranus will be midway between Jupiter and Mercury. Thus, the order in which the planets will be visible in the sky will be as follows: Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, and finally Saturn.

It should be noted that the alignment of the planets is a visual phenomenon when the planets appear close to each other in the sky relative to the Earth, and not a real parade of planets in the solar system. Such alignments are rare and the next one will occur only on September 8, 2040.

The best time to observe the alignment is before sunrise on June 17. It can be difficult to recognize the planets among other stars and constellations, so it can be helpful to use planet finder and identification apps.

Don't miss this unique spectacle of nature that offers a rare alignment of five planets.

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