The entire solar system wants to partake in the summer festivities now that it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere. For the rest of June, those who observe the night sky during the red-eye shift will be able to see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn line up in the dawn sky.
This month, the five worlds visible to the naked eye will line up in our sky in their correct orbital order, giving skywatchers a rare opportunity to witness a “planet parade.” The fading crescent moon will also join the journey between Venus and Mars, according to Hannikainen, thus the sky on the morning of the 24th “will present a magnificent spectacle.”
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are aligned in the proper order for one night, and a waning crescent moon has joined the formation as an added bonus. A conjunction is what happens when two or three planets line up in the night sky. Five planets lining up across the night sky is a rather rare occurrence, according to the astronomy news source Sky & Telescope, although events with two or even three planets in alignment are reasonably typical. The last time five planets aligned in this way was in December 2004, and the following time is predicted to occur in 2040. The ideal time to view this planetary lineup will likely be on Friday, June 24, but it will be possible to see all five planets at some point in the mornings between now and then. Set your alarm up early in the morning to catch the first glimpse of all five planets, which will only be visible just before dawn.
Early in the month, the window of opportunity for viewing the five planets is only about 30 minutes before sunrise; however, starting June 24, the window gradually increases to approximately an hour before sunrise. The planets should be visible on the days leading up to this. Sky & Telescope says the best time to see the lineup on June 24 is 45 minutes before sunrise. It should be visible on the eastern horizon. Fortunately, summer has arrived for the majority of the United States, making planet-spotting and stargazing more enjoyable than the chilly winter nights experienced when this phenomenon was last visible. Lucky watchers will be able to see Earth’s five closest planetary neighbors in the early morning sky with a little patience if the weather forecast calls for a clear morning.
According to NASA, four of the planets that can be seen with the naked eye have been aligning in the past several months. Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, however, will disperse during the coming months. Most observers won’t be able to see Venus or Saturn after September.
The M13 globular star cluster, a closely packed spherical collection of stars, will be another astronomical event that can be seen in June. Numerous stars in the M13 often referred to as the Hercules Cluster, are considered to be roughly 12 billion years old, or nearly as old as the universe itself, according to NASA.