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 7 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

FDA Updates the Definition of ‘Healthy’ Foods.

DON'T MISS

Oldest Known Stone Tablet Inscribed With the Ten Commandments Sells for Over $5M

DON'T MISS

Biden Pledges to Cut US Greenhouse Gases by More Than 60% as He Exits the World Stage

DON'T MISS

Amazon Workers Strike at Multiple Facilities as Teamsters Seek Labor Contract

DON'T MISS

Elon Musk Considers Funding Nigel Farage’s Populist Party, a Move That Could Shake Up UK Politics

DON'T MISS

Bills QB Josh Allen Credits Fiancee Hailee Steinfeld for His His MVP-Caliber Season

DON'T MISS

Chargers Host Broncos on Thursday With Both Teams Closing in on Playoff Spots

DON'T MISS

Wisconsin School Shooter Had 2 Guns and Got Messages From Man Accused of Plotting His Own Attack

DON'T MISS

Wake Forest Hires Washington State’s Jake Dickert as Football Coach

DON'T MISS

Appeals Court Removes Prosecutor Fani Willis From Georgia Election Case Against Trump and Others

UP NEXT

Oldest Known Stone Tablet Inscribed With the Ten Commandments Sells for Over $5M

UP NEXT

Biden Pledges to Cut US Greenhouse Gases by More Than 60% as He Exits the World Stage

UP NEXT

Amazon Workers Strike at Multiple Facilities as Teamsters Seek Labor Contract

UP NEXT

Elon Musk Considers Funding Nigel Farage’s Populist Party, a Move That Could Shake Up UK Politics

UP NEXT

Bills QB Josh Allen Credits Fiancee Hailee Steinfeld for His His MVP-Caliber Season

UP NEXT

Chargers Host Broncos on Thursday With Both Teams Closing in on Playoff Spots

UP NEXT

Wisconsin School Shooter Had 2 Guns and Got Messages From Man Accused of Plotting His Own Attack

UP NEXT

Wake Forest Hires Washington State’s Jake Dickert as Football Coach

UP NEXT

Appeals Court Removes Prosecutor Fani Willis From Georgia Election Case Against Trump and Others

UP NEXT

49ers Move Closer to Shutting Down Trent Williams for Rest of the Season

Amazon Workers Strike at Multiple Facilities as Teamsters Seek Labor Contract

1 hour ago

Elon Musk Considers Funding Nigel Farage’s Populist Party, a Move That Could Shake Up UK Politics

1 hour ago

Bills QB Josh Allen Credits Fiancee Hailee Steinfeld for His His MVP-Caliber Season

1 hour ago

Chargers Host Broncos on Thursday With Both Teams Closing in on Playoff Spots

1 hour ago

Wisconsin School Shooter Had 2 Guns and Got Messages From Man Accused of Plotting His Own Attack

1 hour ago

Wake Forest Hires Washington State’s Jake Dickert as Football Coach

1 hour ago

Appeals Court Removes Prosecutor Fani Willis From Georgia Election Case Against Trump and Others

2 hours ago

49ers Move Closer to Shutting Down Trent Williams for Rest of the Season

2 hours ago

Tulare County Mother, Accomplice Charged in Amber Alert Kidnap

2 hours ago

FBI Raids Home of LA Deputy Mayor Following City Hall Bomb Threat Probe

2 hours ago

FDA Updates the Definition of ‘Healthy’ Foods.

Packaged foods in the U.S. will have to follow new rules in order to call themselves “healthy,” according to changes finalized Thursday by t...

13 minutes ago

Canadian certified organic farm-raised King Salmon filets are placed on a tray in a store in Fairfax, Va., April 10, 2015. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
13 minutes ago

FDA Updates the Definition of ‘Healthy’ Foods.

1 hour ago

Oldest Known Stone Tablet Inscribed With the Ten Commandments Sells for Over $5M

1 hour ago

Biden Pledges to Cut US Greenhouse Gases by More Than 60% as He Exits the World Stage

1 hour ago

Amazon Workers Strike at Multiple Facilities as Teamsters Seek Labor Contract

1 hour ago

Elon Musk Considers Funding Nigel Farage’s Populist Party, a Move That Could Shake Up UK Politics

1 hour ago

Bills QB Josh Allen Credits Fiancee Hailee Steinfeld for His His MVP-Caliber Season

1 hour ago

Chargers Host Broncos on Thursday With Both Teams Closing in on Playoff Spots

1 hour ago

Wisconsin School Shooter Had 2 Guns and Got Messages From Man Accused of Plotting His Own Attack

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

Search

Send this to a friend