Recent media reports suggested that stargazers would witness a rare celestial event on Monday (June 3), with six planets appearing in alignment.
However, NASA has been quick to debunk these claims and provided a more accurate picture of what to expect in the night sky in June.
The initial reports claimed that Mercury, Mars, Neptune, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus would take part in a “planet parade,” a phenomenon where planets align on the same side of the sun.
NASA, in a note titled “Planet Parade,” addressed these misconceptions. “Some online sources have shared excitement about a ‘parade of planets’ visible in the morning sky in early June (June 3 in particular),” NASA stated. “In reality, only two of the six planets supposedly on display (Saturn and Mars) will actually be visible.”
NASA explained that during “early June, Jupiter and Mercury will be at or below the horizon during morning twilight and therefore not visible to the naked eye.”
In addition to this, the space agency also said that Uranus and Neptune are too faint to be seen without a telescope.
“The closest thing to a planet parade will be June 29, when Saturn, the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter will line up across the morning sky. This arrangement persists into July, and we’ll talk more about that lineup,” NASA added.
Plenty of other celestial event
While the anticipated six-planet alignment won’t occur, there are still plenty of exciting celestial events to look forward to in June.
Saturn and Mars will be visible in the early morning hours throughout the month, and they will be joined by Jupiter later in June.
On June 2, just before sunrise, Mars will be visible just beneath the crescent Moon, with Saturn nearby. The crescent Moon will sit beneath Mars in the morning twilight on June 3.
The new moon will occur on June 6, and the full moon on June 21.
By the final week of June, Jupiter will become visible low in the east before sunrise. “Look for the bright planet around 10 degrees above the horizon this final week of June, forming a line with Mars and Saturn that stretches toward the south,” as per the space agency.
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On June 27, the Moon will rise in the east with Saturn around midnight, and by dawn, they will be high in the southern sky. They will appear close enough to be seen together through binoculars.
(With inputs from agencies)
Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
