If you are interested in the cosmos in any shape or form, then this Friday morning should be noted down. It might be the best period for viewing one of the rarest planetary alignments. It has already happened once earlier on in the month, but it will not occur until 2040.
Through the course of June, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury have all lined up left-right in the sky in the southeast, in the order in which they orbit around the sun. On June 24th, Friday, this “planet parade” shall receive another special guest – the moon, which is currently crescent, will slip in between Mars and Venus.
The Details Of The Alignment
With regards to its position in the procession of planets, you may think of the Moon as a substitute for Earth. Sky & Amp Telescope’s statement details that Mercury’s rise should take place approximately an hour earlier than that of the Sun on June 24th. This means that you will have enough time to catch a quick view of the entire planetary parade until the Sun’s light makes them too invisible.
Again, this event must not be missed because the previous time this exact planetary alignment took place was in 2004. Furthermore, it will be almost 2 decades till it happens once more, as per the calculations of BBC Science Focus.
The BBC Science Focus reports further details that the optimal time to view this 2022 alignment is after 3.39 A. M. and before 4.43 A.M when the sun rises on June 24th, 2022 morning. Saturn will be leading the parade as it will rise at approximately 23.21 P.M. on June 23rd for those who are in New York. Time and date further adds that Jupiter will be next and become visible at 1.05 A. M. Then it will be Mars at 1.44 A.M. followed by Venus at 3.33 A. M., and Mercury will bring up the rear at 4.11 A.M.
The event’s exact time will vary depending on your particular location.
As such, we suggest keeping tabs on an app for sky watching such as Sky Safari, or even Starry Night if you are looking for software to help you with the times.
June has seen our Moon embark on a tremendous trip through the cosmos as it has conducted numerous “meet and greets”. On June 18th, it had first passed Saturn in the sky just before dawn broke. Then on June 21st, it met Jupiter followed by June 22nd when it met Mars. In the approaching days, the Moon’s tour will continue as, on June 26th, it will pass Venus. Its final passing will be on June 27th, when it goes past Mercury.
