Monday, June 3, 2024

Moon and Many Planets in Morning (before sunrise)

In early June, six planets and the waning crescent moon will be strung along the ecliptic in the eastern sky before sunrise. From May 31 to June 5, the crescent moon's eastward orbital motion will carry it past the planets, making a pretty sight for early risers. The relatively bright planets Saturn and Mars will rise during the wee hours and shine until dawn. They will be the only planets easily seen with unaided eyes. The faint, blue speck of Neptune positioned between them will require binoculars or a telescope. Just before sunrise, the bright, close-together pair of Jupiter and Mercury will rise, preceded by fainter Uranus. Those last three planets will be all-but-hidden in the glare of the sun, though observers located closer to the equator might glimpse the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. Such planetary gatherings are not particularly rare and the planets are always 'aligned' on or near the ecliptic plane.

(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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