?Planetary alignment: when and how to observe the phenomenon
The planets Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Mercury and Uranus will align on June 17.
The event is rare (and beautiful) enough to catch your eye. On the night of June 16-17 , five planets will meet above the horizon. To enjoy the show, you will have to be patient or get up very early, the alignment being planned for dawn, just before sunrise.
?How to observe the alignment
The first thing to do is to get as far away as possible from the visual pollution generated by the light of neighboring towns. It is also necessary to ensure that the sky remains clear during the night , which should be the case in most regions according to Météo-France forecasts. Finally, be sure to bring at least a good pair of binoculars or a telescope with you .
The Starwalk website indicates that the alignment will take place approximately one hour before sunrise above the horizon looking east. You can check the exact time based on your location on the SunEarthTool site . Knowing that there are almost 30 minutes difference between Brest and Nice, this is very important data so as not to miss the phenomenon. From bottom to top, the visible planets will be: Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn.
Apps exist to help you on your astronomical adventure such as SkySafari, StarWalk 2, Light Pollution Map, Sky Tonight and Sky Map .
To sum up :
The visible planets: Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn.
The time of the phenomenon: Saturday June 17, about 1 hour before sunrise
Observation area: above the horizon looking east.
Source / Pixabay image credit: Wikilmages
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