Witness rare celestial magic on June 3 as six planets line up in a straight line, here’s how to spot them

Next month, on June 3, there will be a planetary alignment that may actually allow you to witness six planets lined up in the sky. This is a rare astronomical phenomenon. So if you weren’t there for the amazing display of the northern lights a few weeks ago, you may have another chance to see something truly unique in the night sky.

It’s the best chance to see Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all in the sky at once due to planetary alignment.

The planets are expected to line up in the early morning sky on Monday, June 3, 2024.

What is a planetary alignment?

According to Kate Pattle, a lecturer in University College London’s Department of Physics and Astronomy in conversation with Glamor UK, “A planetary alignment is an astronomical event that occurs when, by chance, the orbits of some of the planets in the Solar System bring them into close same side of the Sun at the same time.”

“This means that they appear in a line in the sky when we see them from Earth. In this case, the planets Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn will form a line across the sky, in that order,” explains Kate.

As Kate points out, “planetary alignment” in this context refers to the planets visually lining up in the sky, or in a “planetary parade,” but that doesn’t mean they’ll be in true orbital alignment.

“It’s important to note that the planets are not forming a straight line in space – that’s a much rarer astronomical event called a syzygy,” she says. “However, because all the planets – including Earth – revolve around the Sun in roughly the same orientation (moving in what we call the ‘plane of the ecliptic’), when they are on the same side of the Sun as each other . , they appear to form a line in the sky when viewed from Earth.”

How to distinguish planetary alignment?

To spot the upcoming planetary alignment, which is most visible an hour before sunrise on June 3 (and several days before and after), head to an area with minimal light pollution and an unobstructed view of the eastern horizon.

Jupiter, Mercury and Uranus will be low in the sky, making binoculars essential for seeing all six planets, especially faint Uranus and Neptune, and possibly Mercury. Jupiter will be easier to spot because of its brightness. Planets don’t twinkle like stars, which helps identification, but using a night sky app like Sky Map, Star Chart, or Sky Tonight can help pinpoint them.

Planetary alignment is quite common in itself, especially when two, three or even four planets align in the sky. However, the alignment of five or more planets is less common.

April 8, 2024, was the last time the planets were all aligned. In the US, Canada and Mexico, the planetary alignment was visible during the total solar eclipse.