5 Planets Lined Up – An astronomical parade that lasts until the end of June

It will be possible to see with the naked eye four planets of our solar system gathered on the same line, reports The Parisian. This rare event, similar to a “parade of the planets”, had not happened since December 1997 and will not happen again before November 2124. It can be observed on the east-northeast horizon just before each sunrise at from June 14 until June 27, 2022, around 4 a.m.

Planets harder to see than others

In France and Western Europe, four planets will be particularly visible in the celestial vault: Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. “The planets will be perfectly aligned around June 22 and the Moon will come between them on the following days”, explained Jérémie Vaubaillon, astronomer at the Paris Observatory, to our colleagues from RTL. Uranus, Neptune and Mercury can be observed with binoculars.

Mercury, which will be located between the Sun and Venus, will be particularly difficult to see. “We will have to be on the lookout, because it will not last for hours. I’d say about 15 minutes from when Mercury is high enough to be visible to the end of twilight.” announced Pascal Descamps of the IMCCE (Institute of Celestial Mechanics and Ephemeris Calculation). To find Uranus, you will have to point your optics between Venus and Mars. Neptune will be located between Jupiter and Saturn.