Rare five-planetary alignment: When and where to observe in India

Keep an eye on the night sky to catch a glimpse of five planets coming together for a rare planetary alignment on Saturday, June 17

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A rare event is about to occur in the night sky involving the alignment of five planets in the solar system on Saturday, June 17.

According to global media reports, the five planets involved in this alignment are Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, and Mercury. This phenomenon, known as a conjunction, happens when two or more planets appear to be close to each other when observed from Earth.

When will it be visible from India?

According to USA Today, while alignment should be visible for a few days, it would be most clear on Saturday, June 17, hours before sunrise.

While the exact timing may differ between regions, the planet Saturn will rise at 11:41 pm in the sky, and Jupiter will come up after 02:30 am. Meanwhile, Mercury may be visible only after 04:23 am from India, stated a report by India Today.

To observe this alignment of planets, a location with less light pollution and a clear view of the horizon would be preferable.

While this celestial show will be visible from various cities worldwide, its visibility may be affected by local weather conditions.

How much of the alignment will be visible?

Mercury, the last planet to become visible, will appear approximately one hour before sunrise. During this time, all five planets may be seen across the sky, starting with Mercury near the horizon and extending upward to Saturn. This phenomenon is expected to be visible until the sun rises.

Depending on the night sky conditions some planets may be easier to see than others with the naked eye.

Jupiter and Saturn, being relatively bright, may be more visible than other planets in the alignment.

Mercury may be a bit dimmer but still observable without binoculars or a telescope.

To get a better look at other planets such as Neptune and Uranus, binoculars or a telescope may be needed.

What are conjunctions?

According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), conjunctions are occurrences that show the proximity of planets in our solar system. Conjunctions can involve different combinations of planets, moons and stars close together in the Earth’s night sky.

The most common ones, that are also easily visible are bright planets like Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

The planets in the solar system follow an oval-shaped path called elliptical orbits around the sun. The sun is located at one of the two focal points of this oval.

As planets move at different speeds along their orbits, their positions change over time, relative to Earth.

During a conjunction, two planets align in a way that makes their positions in their orbits appear close together when observed from Earth.