Planets Align in the June and July Morning Sky

Get prepared for a spectacular morning display from mid-June to early July when the planets span the eastern and southeastern morning twilight sky. Even more impressive, the planets we can see with the naked eye will appear in their correct order out from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.  For those on the west coast, the “planetary parade” begins the morning after the Supermoon on June 14.   

You’ll be able to see most of the planets with just your naked eye or through a modest telescope or binocular. (Uranus will also partake in the parade but will only be visible in large telescopes.) Since the planets will stretch across a large swath of the night sky, photographing them together may be challenging, but the views will be stunning.

The planetary parade spans 21 days, so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy watching the planets move from day to day. The Moon will also visit each planet on specific mornings, waning from a gibbous to a slender crescent phase. Watch for these lunar conjunctions:

• Saturn on June 18^th
• Jupiter on June 21^st
• Mars on June 22^nd
• Venus on June 26^th
• Mercury on June 27^th 

Image created with Celestron SkyPortal

BEST DAYS TO OBSERVE – June 24-27

Image created with Celestron SkyPortal

Between June 24 and 26, you’ll be able to see the planets with a crescent Moon passing from Mars to Venus. On June 27, a new Moon will offer a different view of the planets without any moonlight.

Note: Although the planets will appear to “line up” in the sky, they will not be lined up perfectly in the Solar System. This optical illusion is due to our unique perspective here on Earth.

Image created with Celestron SkyPortal

July 6 will be the last day of the planetary parade as Mercury will no longer be visible in the morning sky after this date. Step outside one last time before this fantastic show is over.

What is a Planetary Parade?

A planetary parade occurs when our Solar System’s planets appear to line up at the same ascension level in the night sky, as seen from Earth. They don’t really create a perfect line in our Solar System; each planet’s orbital plane causes the illusion. Three-planet parades are quite common and occur about twice a year. The more planets in the parade, the rarer the celestial event is.

There are different types of planetary parades:

In 2022, we will experience three planetary parades:

Get to know the Planets Individually

You’ll be able to observe five of the six planets with the naked eye or through a telescope or binocular. Learn more with our helpful observing guides:

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Best Times to Observe by Time Zone

This event is visible in the morning sky from mid-June to early July on the west coast. Here are some highlights of the best days and times to observe. Check your time zone below.

Are you located in a different time zone? Reference our UTC guide for more information. Click here