NASA: Stargazers will see the 'closest thing to a planet parade' Saturday morning
Astronomers and stargazers around the U.S. could get a peek at a planetary parade this weekend, NASA says.
On Saturday, before sunrise, people will get to see Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn, align in the sky, Preston Dyches, a public engagement specialist for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, previously told USA TODAY. Dyches has a background in astronomy and hosts NASA's "What's Up," a monthly video series that describes what's happening in the night sky.
Scientists probe a space mystery: Why do people age faster during space travel?
Were you disappointed by a previous parade? This one is different.
On June 3, folks were promised a dazzling parade, but both Dyches and Andrew Fazekas, the communications manager for Astronomers Without Borders, agreed it wouldn't be the best time to actually enjoy it and advised people to be patient and wait until later in the month.
For starters, June 3 fell on a Monday, and rising before the sun on the first workday of the week may not be on every 9-to-5ers to-do list. And early in the month, the sun's light would've washed out the planets that would have aligned closest to it. said Dyches.
But this week's parade is on a Saturday morning, with Uranus, Mercury and Jupiter high enough in the sky that the sun won't outshine them.
People may also be able to view the parade on Friday, according to Fazekas, but the moon's position will be different on both days. And the "closest thing to a planet parade" is on Saturday, stated Dyches.
What is a planetary parade?
Basically, it's when the planets form a straight line and look like they're marching across the night sky and form a space parade.
It's also known as a large planetary alignment, states Delaware Online, a part of the USA TODAY Network.
What will you be able to see?
According to a program called SkySafari Pro, you will be able to see the following during the planetary parade on June 29:
Jupiter, which will be closest to the horizon.
Uranus.
Mars.
The moon.
Neptune.
Saturn.
Where will you be able to see the planetary parade?
People will need to do the following to get a view of the planetary parade, according to Fazekas:
Get up early, before sunrise.
Find a spot with a clear view that faces the east or southeastern sky.
Have your binoculars or telescope ready to view planets that aren't visible to the naked eye.
What equipment do you need to view a planetary parade?
You will still need binoculars and telescopes to see some of the planets, said Fazekas.
"Neptune is a planet that you need strong binoculars or a small telescope to be able to see," said Fazekas. "And it's not easy to find either."
Folks who go out to stargaze on June 28, will be able to see Neptune right next to the moon. On June 29, it will be farther away from the moon, and be above it instead.
Apps, like Skyview on the Apple app store, can turn people's phones into a tool that helps them identify celestial bodies in the night sky.
Excitement from solar eclipse, northern lights creating planet parade hype
While the stars aligning might be an interesting sight for backyard astronomers, Fazekas advises people shouldn't expect something spectacular, like the solar eclipse or the northern lights.
When the planetary parade on June 3 was announced, Fazekas was worried the people's expectations were set too high by those two very viral celestial events
"What worries me is that we set people up for disappointment," said Fazekas "And then they won't want to do it again."
Fazekas has never seen so many people interested in sky-watching, and he doesn't want the excitement to end.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A 2024 planet parade could appear this weekend. Here's how to watch
