Early risers will be able to observe relatively rare planetary alignments in the coming weeks, where the eye will see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
It is not uncommon to see two or three planets close together in the same area of the sky. However, it is more unusual to be able to observe five planets at the same time. In the Northern Hemisphere, the last merger of the five planets took place in December 2004.
This is an extraordinary month of June, because all the planets of the solar system are visible in the sky! We can even see Uranus and Neptune with a small telescopesaid Olivier Hernandez, director of the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium in Montreal.
Rows of planets
From June 9, conditions are scheduled to be observed in the order of all planets visible to the eye, with the Moon as a bonus.
However, it is only in the second half of the month that they will distribute in a more orderly manner and possibly see the line stretch further.
First, find Venus
The planet, called the Evening Star, is the brightest star in the sky. Right now, Venus is not very high in the sky. Clearly visible in the clear sky, it can be seen along the east-northeast horizon in the morning between 4 am and sunrise.
Other planets that are easier to identify are Jupiter and Mars, which have a slight orange glow. But the real challenge for amateur astronomers is finding Mercury, which is not easy to observe.
With your eagle eye
We see Mercury from June 9, but the sun rises afterwards, which is not optimal. The ideal is from June 15 until the end of the monthexplained Olivier Hernandez.
” You really have to look at a very clear east-northeast horizon and slightly elevated to see Mercury. “
If its observation is best outside of major city centers, it is still possible to see it from Montreal if you can see a very clear area, such as Mount Royal.
To maximize your chances of seeing Mercury, it is advisable to be in your position between 30 and 45 minutes before sunrise to allow your eyes to adjust to the light.
The weather conditions should also be ideal for explore Mercury, which appears as a very small point and low brightness, are two properties that make up the planet to the limit of what we see with the eyewarning of Mr. Hernandez.
” It is enough that there is a strong temperature difference when the sun rises to blur the atmosphere and make observation impossible. “
Ideally from June 16, Mercury can be seen below and to the left of the radiant Venus. If you are able to see Mercury, the challenge of observing the enfilade is complete, as other planets are easy to identify.
Another way to find Mercury is to find the Pleiades, a star cluster located between the planet and Venus.
” The Pleiades cluster, which looks like a little bear, also allows us to see Mercury, which is slightly looking above the horizon. “
In the telescope
Olivier Hernandez recalled that using a telescope would make it possible to better see the five planets, but also to observe two other planets invisible to the eye, Neptune (between Jupiter and Saturn) and Uranus ( between Venus and Mars).
The ISS invites itself to the table
Also, for those awake around 4 am from June 26 to June 30, it is possible to see very clearly the International Space Station passing through the sky slightly above all the planets (best seen on June 28 June at 4:16 am ).
The ISS looks like a big white dot moving pretty fast. It can be observed in urban areas despite light pollution.
Source: Radio-Canada
