Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
June's Planetary Parade: What You Can and Can't See
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 10 months ago on
May 29, 2024

On June 3, six planets will align in a planetary parade, but only Mars and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye due to interference from the rising sun. (AP File)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

DALLAS — Six planets will link up before dawn on June 3 in what’s known as a planetary parade. But the spectacle won’t be as eye-catching as expected: Only two planets will be visible to the naked eye.

Here’s what to know about this fairly common celestial event.

What Is a Parade of Planets?

Our solar system’s planets zip around the sun at an angle. Every once in a while, several align on the right side of the sun to be visible across a narrow band of Earth’s sky.

How common the phenomenon is depends on how many planets align and whether or not they are visible without binoculars or a telescope. A handful of planets are usually in the night sky at any given time, though they can be obscured below the horizon or blocked out by the sun’s light.

What Will Be Visible During the Planet Parade?

Unfortunately, this planetary parade of Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune won’t offer much of a view.

“The sun’s going to be photobombing the parade,” said Ronald Gamble, a theoretical astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Mercury and Jupiter will be too close to the horizon to be visible, blotted out by the rising sun. Uranus and Neptune can be glimpsed only with a telescope, though Uranus may be too close to the sun to be visible.

Early risers can still look to the east to spot a waning crescent moon on the lower left, followed by a faintly red Mars and pale yellow dot of Saturn. Both planets are already visible in the early mornings and will be for much of the summer.

What Else Can I Spot in the Sky This Summer?

While June’s planetary parade may not dazzle, the night sky still offers wonders to spot.

The summer offers great weather to explore the night sky with a star or planet-viewing app, said Michelle Nichols at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium.

And the annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak in mid-August with quick streaks of light. Nichols recommends observing the shower away from city lights and allowing your eyes to adjust to the dark for prime viewing.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Used Popular Game ‘Among Us’ to Exploit Minor Pled Guilty

DON'T MISS

Fresno Nonprofit CEO Sandra Celedon Files to Run for Assembly

DON'T MISS

Ontario Slaps 25% Tax Increase on Electricity Exports to US in Response to Trump’s Trade War

DON'T MISS

Bakersfield Man Who Made Bomb Found Near Community Pool Pleads Guilty

DON'T MISS

Fresno City Attorney Janz Launches Probe Into Attack Campaign Mailer

DON'T MISS

New Atmospheric River Expected to Boost Sierra Snowpack

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Two and Seize 15 Firearms in Gang-Related Investigation

DON'T MISS

The Populist vs. the Billionaire: Bannon, Musk and the Battle Within MAGA

DON'T MISS

LA District Attorney Says He Won’t Support Resentencing the Menendez Brothers

DON'T MISS

Study Tells CA Legislators to Declare War on Red Tape. Will They Do It?

UP NEXT

Fresno Nonprofit CEO Sandra Celedon Files to Run for Assembly

UP NEXT

Ontario Slaps 25% Tax Increase on Electricity Exports to US in Response to Trump’s Trade War

UP NEXT

Bakersfield Man Who Made Bomb Found Near Community Pool Pleads Guilty

UP NEXT

Fresno City Attorney Janz Launches Probe Into Attack Campaign Mailer

UP NEXT

New Atmospheric River Expected to Boost Sierra Snowpack

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Arrest Two and Seize 15 Firearms in Gang-Related Investigation

UP NEXT

Study Tells CA Legislators to Declare War on Red Tape. Will They Do It?

UP NEXT

Visalia Men Arrested for Homicide After Deadly Attack at Apartment Complex

UP NEXT

Visalia Head-On Crash Kills One, Leaves One Injured

UP NEXT

Washington Post Columnist Quits After Her Opinion Piece Criticizing Owner Is Rejected

Bakersfield Man Who Made Bomb Found Near Community Pool Pleads Guilty

9 hours ago

Fresno City Attorney Janz Launches Probe Into Attack Campaign Mailer

9 hours ago

New Atmospheric River Expected to Boost Sierra Snowpack

9 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Two and Seize 15 Firearms in Gang-Related Investigation

11 hours ago

The Populist vs. the Billionaire: Bannon, Musk and the Battle Within MAGA

12 hours ago

LA District Attorney Says He Won’t Support Resentencing the Menendez Brothers

13 hours ago

Study Tells CA Legislators to Declare War on Red Tape. Will They Do It?

13 hours ago

Visalia Men Arrested for Homicide After Deadly Attack at Apartment Complex

13 hours ago

Visalia Head-On Crash Kills One, Leaves One Injured

13 hours ago

Washington Post Columnist Quits After Her Opinion Piece Criticizing Owner Is Rejected

13 hours ago

Fresno Man Used Popular Game ‘Among Us’ to Exploit Minor Pled Guilty

A Fresno man pleaded guilty Monday to sexually exploiting a minor, admitting he coerced a 15-year-old in Missouri into sending explicit imag...

8 hours ago

8 hours ago

Fresno Man Used Popular Game ‘Among Us’ to Exploit Minor Pled Guilty

9 hours ago

Fresno Nonprofit CEO Sandra Celedon Files to Run for Assembly

People wave flags and hold signs during a protest outside of the U.S embassy in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
9 hours ago

Ontario Slaps 25% Tax Increase on Electricity Exports to US in Response to Trump’s Trade War

9 hours ago

Bakersfield Man Who Made Bomb Found Near Community Pool Pleads Guilty

9 hours ago

Fresno City Attorney Janz Launches Probe Into Attack Campaign Mailer

9 hours ago

New Atmospheric River Expected to Boost Sierra Snowpack

Fresno police arrested two suspects, Jesus Cardenas, 26, and Frank Alvarez, 40, and seized 15 firearms during a long-term investigation into illegal firearm manufacturing and trafficking, with two suspects still at large. (Fresno PD)
11 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Two and Seize 15 Firearms in Gang-Related Investigation

12 hours ago

The Populist vs. the Billionaire: Bannon, Musk and the Battle Within MAGA

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend