By Witness a “rare” Planetary Parade this June; Here’s how
Sky lovers are in for a treat as five (5) planets will be visible to the naked eye this June.
Planetary Parade
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will parade the pre-dawn skies throughout the whole month of June. The five planetary neighbors of Earth will fall in line in their proper orbital order from the Sun.
According to the weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the planetary parade is best observed during the latter part of the month as Mercury will be at its greatest separation from the Sun. From June 19-27, the five planets will be joined each day by the Moon.
What is the best time to view the planets?
The planets will promenade the southeastern sky for sky watchers to witness during pre-dawn hours, around 4:00 AM to 5:00 AM as seen below.
The southeastern sky during the predawn hours of June 18, 2022. via Stellarium Web
Which direction should I look to see this celestial event?
With the help of technology, it will be fairly easy to find out which direction you should look up to properly identify the planets. You can download Sky Map (FREE) or Stellarium (PAID) to search for the planets in real-time. If you do not have these apps, you can still see the planets by looking in the general direction where the Sun rises and try spotting Venus the “morning star.”
