Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are putting on a predawn show through the month of June. The five planets will stretch across the sky from ENE to south during the late night to predawn hours.
Saturn will appear first, around midnight. Then continue with Jupiter, Mars, and Venus during the overnight hours. Mercury will appear just before sunrise, around 5 a.m.
You do not need a telescope to see this planet lineup. Make sure you have an unobstructed view of the eastern and southern horizons. The best views will be from an elevated area above any tall buildings or trees, or from a shoreline where you can look out over open water.
It is not unusual to see two or three bright planets in the night sky, but to have five in view simultaneously is special. Even more interesting is that these five planets will appear in the same sequence in the sky as they are in their orbits around the sun.
The last time this kind of alignment happened was March 5, 1864.
