There’s a ‘planetary parade’ in the sky this weekend.
Five planets will align around sunrise Saturday in what astronomers call a planetary alignment – when planets gather closely on one side of the sun at the same time.
This marks the second time this year that five planets will align. Before that, five planets aligned in June 2022 for the first time in nearly 20 years.
“This is a rare opportunity to see five planets at once, but be aware that two of them (Neptune and Uranus) will be challenging to spot,” Star Walk said.
Here’s what to know about the upcoming planetary alignment.
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What 5 planets can you see Saturday?
You can see Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus and Mercury lined up in the sky Saturday. However, you will need a pair of binoculars to have a better view of Neptune and Uranus.
“It may be easy to distinguish Jupiter because it will be the brightest celestial object in the morning sky until the sun rises,” Star Walk said. “The other planets, however, are much fainter.”
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When will the planets line up? How to see them
The best view of the planetary alignment will happen a few hours before sunrise on June 17, Star Walk said. It’ll be visible a few days before and after, but Saturday will be the best day for viewing.
In March, Benne Holwerda, an astronomer at the University of Louisville, told the Louisville Courier Journal –part of the USA TODAY Network – that a lot of the planets are visible with the naked eye, binoculars or a small telescope. Holwerda said it’s best to step away from street and city lights to see them.
Contributing: Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY