Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye starting on Friday.
Early risers will be able to see the five planets with no assistance from a telescope as they form a perfect alignment, ordered by their distance from the sun, according to a press release from Sky and Telescope.
These are referred to as the “naked-eye planets” because, at various times, they can be spotted without a telescope.
It is common to see two or three of these planets in what’s called a “conjunction,” but five is considered rare. The last time the five planets were visible in their correct sequence was December 2004.
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In the early mornings of June 3-4, “the five planets span 91° when the separation between Mercury and Saturn will be at its smallest.”
“You’ll have less than half an hour between when Mercury first appears above the horizon and when it essentially gets lost in the glare of the rising Sun,” the release explains.
The alignment will be even more compelling on June 24. Mercury will be easier to see on this date, and thus, the entire alignment will be less difficult to spot. Viewers will also have roughly an hour to experience the planetary parade.
“But the real bonus is the waning crescent Moon positioned between Venus and Mars, serving as a proxy Earth,” reads the release.
On this date, the group of planets will be further apart. According to the release, “the distance between Mercury and Saturn will be 107°.”
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Viewers should make sure to set their alarms to catch the rare alignment on these key dates.
