Planetary parade postponed
- A much-touted parade of planets won't be as visible as reported
- NASA says a similar alignment will be visible later in the month
- Saturn, the moon, Mars and Jupiter will align in the morning hours
The Sun and Planets of our Solar System Including Pluto. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Testing on staging11
(NewsNation) — NASA is warning that an early June planetary parade has been overhyped but said skywatchers can see a similar spectacle later in the month.
The parade of planets, featuring the alignment of Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, won’t actually be visible to most, the space agency said. Mercury and Jupiter will be at or below the horizon in early June, and Uranus and Neptune can only be seen with a telescope. That leaves just Mars and Saturn visible to the naked eye.
But those hoping to see a celestial pageant aren’t without hope.
Later in the month, on June 29, NASA says another alignment will be more visible. Saturn, the moon, Mars and Jupiter will be lined up in the early morning sky, all visible without a telescope.
To recognize planets, look for a light that shines steadily in the sky rather than twinkling like a star. If binoculars are used, planets will appear more like discs or crescents than points of light.
Moving objects, on the other hand, are more likely to be artificial, like planes or satellites. The International Space Station can also be seen at times, visible as a very bright light that may be seen moving slowly through its orbit.
For those hoping to catch the late June alignment, Saturn appears as a yellowish light, while Mars gives off a red or orange campfire-like glow, and Jupiter appears as a bright white light.
Other days of astronomical note in June include the new moon on June 6 and the full moon, also known as the strawberry moon, on June 21, which comes just one day after the summer solstice on June 20 when those in the northern hemisphere will experience the longest day of the year.