How to see 5 planets align in "planetary parade" Saturday
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Set your alarm clock early Saturday for a rare chance to see five planets aligned in the pre-dawn sky.
The big picture: Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus and Mercury will appear together in a "planetary parade" before sunrise Saturday, according to the astronomy website and app Star Walk.
- June 17 is the best day for observation but the planetary alignment may be visible for several days, per Star Walk.
What time will the planets align
To see the five-planet alignment, find a place with a dark sky without light pollution and with a clear view of the horizon. Start looking about an hour before sunrise, Star Walk says.
- Sunrise times vary and can be calculated using Timeanddate.com's Sun calculator.
Zoom out: Jupiter and Saturn are expected to be the easiest and brightest to see and Mercury will be close to the horizon.
- Neptune and Uranus will be challenging to spot and you'll likely need binoculars or a telescope to see them.
Planetary alignment and summer solstice
The last large alignment of five planets was in March with Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars lining up.
What's next: An evening alignment of Mars, Venus, and Mercury will happen July 22.
- The next time there will be an alignment of five planets is April 20 with Venus, Mercury, Neptune, Mars and Saturn.
Of note: The summer solstice starts at 10:58 a.m. ET on Wednesday, June 21. It marks the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere when the Sun travels along its most northernmost path in the sky, according to Almanac.com.
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