A view of the solar system displayed in a rare alignment of planets

A rare sight fills the sky this month, as five planets from the solar system line up – something we won’t see again for another 20 years.

And best of all, you don’t even need a telescope to see it.

The rare solar spectacle has not been seen since 2004 and will not happen again until 2040.

So what exactly is happening and how do you see it?

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What is happening and how can I see it?

according to AccuWeatherMercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are in a row, and it will stay that way until the end of June.

But it can be hard to see unless you’re willing to stay up too late, or get up too early.

Planets can be seen above the eastern horizon every morning until the end of the month, and although a telescope is not required, weather conditions can affect whether or not you’ll be able to see all five.

The best time to see it is about 45-60 minutes before sunrise on a cloudless morning, and since the sun rises before 5 a.m. these days, people might not be keen on the idea of ​​setting such an early warning.

If you want to get up early enough to see the five planets, the location you choose is also important.

Since Mercury is still very low on the horizon, things such as trees and buildings may prevent your view of it.

It will probably be easier to spot Mercury if you first locate Venus, which will be above and to the right.

If you keep looking to the right and a little higher each time, you should be able to spot the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

Each planet will appear higher in the sky than the last, but that’s just a view from Earth, and in fact, they’ll all actually be lined up and spread farther through the solar system than it seems.

Your best chance

While the five planets will be visible throughout the second half of June, there is an ideal time to see them.

The best time to see them would be three days after the summer solstice, which occurs at 5.13am EST (10.13am in the UK) on Tuesday, June 21.

The crescent moon is set to align with the planets sometime before dawn on Friday, June 24, which means photographers may want to wait until that day to get the best shots possible.

When July comes around, the planets will kick in space again, with Mercury being the first to disappear from view.

You’ll still be able to see Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in the pre-dawn sky throughout July, but they’ll be spread far apart.

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