Rare planetary alignment of June’s 2022 big stargazing sight, NASA says
The rare alignment of five naked-eye Planets will begin to “break up” as they appear to grow increasingly distant from one another in the morning sky. — Renz Michael
ASTRONOMERS are getting excited about the rare prospect of seeing five planets line up next to each other in the night sky. But how exactly can you watch the out of this world event?
In June, five planets will move into a rare alignment, which will be visible from Earth. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are lining up — in that order — for the first time since December 2004.
The five so-called “naked-eye” planets were visible beginning on June 3 and 4, but on June 24, they will be even easier to see.
Planetary alignment on June 24, 2022
The most spectacular planet parade of the year will take place on the morning of June 24. Observers will see five planets of the Solar System aligned in the sky: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. In fact, this will be a seven-planet alignment as Neptune and Uranus will also join the celestial show. However, these two giant planets are too dim to be spotted with the naked eye.
They are joined up in the southeastern predawn sky this month, offering a special treat for skywatchers. The five planets appear to arc across the sky all in a row, with Mercury lying very close to the horizon. This is the first time since December 2004 that the five planets have appeared together in view above the horizon.
While we’ve been able to view Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and Venus in the morning sky the last couple months, Mercury was a recent addition the rare planetary alignment in June. The small planet appeared alongside the quartet on June 3 — only briefly peeking above the horizon before the glare of the rising sun made it difficult to see.
However, beginning around June 10, Mercury will become easier to spot in the morning sky. The planet will reach its greatest elongation, or farthest point from sunrise, on June 16, meaning it will be even brighter as the month progresses, according to EarthSky.org(opens in new tab).
The five worlds appear to line up because they travel on the plane of the solar system, known as the ecliptic. The planets are aligned in order of their distance from the sun, with Mercury, closest to the sun, appearing lowest on the horizon, and the most distant, Saturn, highest in the sky. For viewers on Earth, the planets all appear close together, but these worlds are actually millions of miles or kilometers away from each other.
How to watch:
The alignment has been setting up for months, and June is the time to catch the view.
The alignment will be spread out across the eastern horizon, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The best time to view the alignment is about 45 minutes before sunrise, local time, Nichols said. The clock time for sunrise will vary day to day and within time zones, so it’s best to set the alarm based on local conditions.
You should start your observations about an hour before dawn. The planets will extend from east to south (from north to east in the southern latitudes) across the sky. Observers from the Southern Hemisphere will have a better view — the planets there will rise earlier and climb much higher.
On June 24, viewing will be optimal. Even if the distance between Mercury and Saturn increases, it’s getting easier to spot Mercury, so it is getting progressively easier to see all five planets, Diana Hannikainen, observing editor of Sky & Telescope, told CBS News via email.
Hannikainen said the sky on the morning of the 24th “will present a delightful sight” because the waning crescent Moon will also join the procession between Venus and Mars.
Even if is cloudy, the planets should be visible on the days leading up to this. Sky & Telescope says the best time to see the line up on June24 is 45 minutes before sunrise. It should be visible on the eastern horizon.
Four of the naked-eye planets have been lining up in the for the past few months, according to NASA. But over the next few months, Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and Venus will spread out. By September, Venus and Saturn will no longer be visible to observers.
Another astronomical phenomenon will be visible in June: the M13 globular star cluster, a tightly packed spherical collection of stars. The M13, also known as the Hercules Cluster, contains thousands of stars, which are thought to be around 12 billion years old — almost the age of the universe itself, NASA says.
An additional bonus is the waning crescent Moon, shining between Venus and Mars. It will be slightly out of the “planetary line,” traveling from planet to planet during the latter half of June