Ready, Stargazers! On June 3, you will have the opportunity to see Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune in a spectacular planetary parade.
On this particular night, you can see up to six planets depending on where you are. Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, but Uranus and Neptune require powerful binoculars or a telescope. Look for Uranus near Mercury and Neptune near Saturn.
This is the second planet parade of the year after the Solar Eclipse of 2024. Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and Mars were seen by those on the route, although Mars and Saturn were a bit difficult to see.
The best place to see and time
In the US, New York State offers the best viewing spots on June 3 from 5:00 am to 5:26 pm. This short window is important, especially if you’re going to build a telescope to catch it all. six planets.
Other parts of the East Sea will also look good at different times. In Florida, you can see Saturn, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter before sunset around 6 p.m.
In Ohio, the same team will appear at 5:40 p.m. Although there are more planets in other parts of the world, we will show you how to check your exact location.
How to find the best airtime
Even if Venus were in the sky, it would be too close to the sun to see. A parade of six planets will be visible every morning for a week.
As a result, Mercury will be too close to the Sun to be seen, and the more distant planets will disappear. However, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn will be visible in the morning sky for several weeks.
Use online tools like the Stellarium website and the Sky Tonight app (available on iOS and Android) to determine the best viewing times and locations.
Enter your location, set the time between June 3 and June 7, and adjust between Sunset and Sunset. The Sky Tonight app shows the planet’s position regardless of visibility, while Stellarium shows what the sky looks like from your location.
Do you need special equipment?
At best, you can see with the naked eye four eyes: Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, and Mercury. However, you need powerful binoculars or a telescope to see Neptune and Uranus.
The bright sky before sunrise and their distance from Earth make these planets difficult to see without additional equipment.
Photographing this event is difficult and requires a special filter for fine details, but it can be worthwhile.
Even if you can’t see all six planets, seeing three or four is a great experience. Remember that cloudy weather and city lights can block your view.
Planet Parade vs. planetary alignment
A planetary parade is when the planets line up visually in the night sky. NASA often refers to it as the “parade of the planets.” planetary alignments can mean this visual line or an actual orbital alignment, which is very rare.
In the upcoming event, the planets appear to be parallel to Earth, but not in direct orbital alignment.
Future Planet Parades
Parades of minor planets occur frequently, but seeing five or more planets at once is rare. Here are the dates for this celestial event through 2025:
- June 3, 2024
- August 28, 2024
- January 18, 2025
- February 28, 2025
- August 29, 2025
The parade on February 28, 2025 is especially special because seven other planets in our solar system will be visible, some of which require a telescope.
Do not miss this rare and beautiful celestial phenomenon. Use these tips and tools to get the most out of your planet-viewing experience!
