Ural Federal University: Five Solar System Planets Lined Up in Order

At the end of June at 3:00 a.m. in the eastern part of the sky, five solar system planets will be visible to the naked eye simultaneously: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. It is noteworthy that the planets will line up in the sky exactly in the order in which they are located in the solar system in relation to the Sun. In addition, exactly on June 24 and 25, the Moon, Earth’s satellite, will be between Venus and Mars, complementing the place of the Earth in this cosmic constellation.

“Unfortunately, the end of June is not the most favorable period to observe the sky due to the light nights. Mercury will be impossible to see in our latitudes, even with binoculars. Venus will be three degrees above the horizon and will require open space to observe it. Mars in June is not yet bright enough to stand out noticeably among the bright stars against the background of the morning dawn,” explains Vladilen Sanakoev, an engineer at the Ural Federal University Training Astronomical Observatory.

Only the waning crescent moon and Jupiter, the gas giant, will be clearly visible at an altitude of 15 degrees above the horizon, adds Vladilen Sanakoev. At the same height, in the southeast, almost in the south, it will be possible to observe Saturn. It is comparable to Mars in brightness, but will be more clearly visible due to the fact that it is in a darker part of the sky, not yet illuminated by the atmosphere of the rising Sun.