According to Sky & Telescope editor Diana Hannikainen, the event began in early June and continued to get brighter and easier to see as the month progressed.
A waning crescent moon will join the party between Venus and Mars on Friday, adding another celestial body to the array. The Moon will represent Earth’s relative position in alignment, meaning this is where our planet will appear in planetary order.
Hannikainen said stargazers need a clear view of the eastern horizon to detect the incredible phenomenon. People can see the planetary spectacle with the naked eye, but binoculars are recommended for the best viewing experience, she added.
Some stargazers are particularly excited about the celestial event, including Hannikainen. He flew from his home west of Boston to a beach town on the Atlantic Ocean to get the best view of the lineup.
“I’ll be there with my binoculars looking east and southeast, crossing all my fingers and toes, and everything will be clear,” Hannikainen said. Said.
You don’t need to travel to catch a glimpse of the action because it will be visible to people around the world.
Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere can see planets from the east to the southeast horizon, while those in the Southern Hemisphere should look east to the northeast horizon. The only requirement is a clear sky in the alignment direction.
The next day, the Moon said it would continue its orbit around Earth, pulling it out of alignment with the planets.
If you miss the five planetary alignments in sequence, the next will happen in 2040, according to Sky & Telescope.
- June 14: Strawberry moon
- July 13: Buck bear
- August 11: Sturgeon moon
- September 10: Harvest month
- October 9: Hunter’s moon
- November 8: beaver bear
- December 7: Cold month
Lunar and solar eclipses
Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun but blocks only some of its light. Be sure to wear appropriate sunglasses to safely watch solar eclipses, as sunlight can damage the eyes.
On October 25, a partial solar eclipse will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeast Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China. None of the partial solar eclipses will be visible from North America.
A total lunar eclipse will also be displayed between 03:01 ET and 08:58 ET on November 8 for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America, and North America – but the moon will be setting for those in eastern North American regions.
meteor shower
- Southern Delta Aquariids: July 29 – 30
- Alpha Capricorns: July 30-31
- Perseids: August 11-12
- Orionids: October 20-21
- Southern Taurus: 4-5 November
- Northern Taurus: November 11-12
- Leonids: 17-18 November
- Gemini: December 13-14
- Ursids: December 21-22
If you live in an urban area, you may want to go somewhere that is not flooded with city lights for the best view.
Find an open area with expansive views of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look straight ahead. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the dark — without looking at your phone or other electronic device — so you can see meteors more easily.
