A ‘parade of planets’ is coming. Here’s how to watch this show in the sky

OOne of the most fortuitous conga lines in the solar system occurred in the late 1970s, when the four gas giants – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – formed an organized cosmic column, allowing the Voyager spacecraft to fly over them all. The twin spacecraft performed dazzling science, returning some of the best photos ever taken of the worlds and discovering never-before-seen moons and rings.

Things won’t make as much history on June 3, 2024, but they will still be surprising. It is on this date that stargazers in the US and other parts of the world will have the best chance of seeing what is colloquially called the parade of planets, when six of the eight planets in our solar system (nine if you count little underprivileged Pluto) will be visible in the sky at the same time. The half-dozen worlds on display will be Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, but not all of them will be easy to spot – and you’ll have to wake up early to see them. Here’s what you should know to watch this last show in the sky.

What is a parade of planets?

Despite all the excitement the spectacle is causing, the parade is mostly an optical illusion, with the planets not actually lining up like they did in the Voyager era. Instead, they are spread across the entire sky at different depths, positions and distances, and are visible at the same time in an area of ​​73°. The phenomenon is a bit like randomly placing six different people at six different points in a field and positioning yourself in such a way that you can bring them all into the camera lens at once.

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Although true alignments are rare – the one that the Voyager probes took advantage of was the only one of its kind in a period of 176 years – planetary parades are relatively common. Another parade of six planets will be visible on August 28, 2024, and another four, some consisting of just three or four planets, will occur between then and August 2025.

Where will the planets be?

It will take some work to figure out exactly where each planet is located in the sky. According to astronomers website StellariumJupiter and Mercury, which are actually 448 million miles away, they will appear to be crowded together, close to the horizon. Moving northeast will be Uranus, followed by Mars, Neptune and finally Saturn. Adding your own little stimulus, a crescent moon will also be visible in the middle of the parade.

Not all planets will be equally visible. Bright red Mars and giant Saturn will be the easiest to see with the naked eye. Mercury and Jupiter will not be as visible. Meanwhile, Uranus and Neptune – the most remote of the group – will require high-powered binoculars or a telescope.

When can I locate the planets?

The sky observation window is narrow for the planet’s parade. Best viewing occurs about 20 minutes before sunrise, looking toward the eastern horizon. In New York on June 3rd, that means 5:06 am. At Cape Canaveral’s lowest latitude, that means 6:05 am. In Los Angeles, it’s 5:02 am.

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In other places in the world, the parade will be visible before June 3rd. In São Paulo, Brazil, for example, it will begin on May 27 and cover a 43° sky expanse; in Mexico it begins on May 29 in a 65° sector; in Athens the curtain rises on June 2nd, at a range of 72°. Whenever the parade starts, it should last no more than a week – visible in the same window before dawn – depending on your location.

As with all cosmic phenomena, the further you are from city light pollution, the better your viewing will be. Truly dark skies are becoming increasingly rare in the modern world, but they are worth seeking out. The heavens have a lot to show us – but only if we meet them on their terms.