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June is a month that space lovers and explorers won’t want to miss. This year, the rare five-planet alignment is set to take place.
The planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, will align in the early hours on the morning of June 3, Friday.
Sky & Telescope magazine says that in the rare phenomenon that has last happened in 2004, Mercury and Saturn will be closer to each other.
Mercury will turn brighter as June passes. Stargazers should use binoculars to get a better view of the alignment and Mercury. All the other planets will eventually be visible to the naked eye.
According to the magazine, the best time to see the phenomena is 30 minutes before sunrise. A clear sky and horizon are also needed.
Viewers living in the Northern Hemisphere can witness the planets from the eastern to the southeastern horizon, while those in the opposite hemisphere should see the planets on the eastern to the northeastern horizon.
Full Moons
On June 24, the crescent moon will also fall in alignment between planets Venus and Mars. In addition to this special event, there are seven more full moons that one can look forward to, the Old Farmer Almanac says:
- June 14: Strawberry moon
- July 13: Buck moon
- August 11: Sturgeon moon
- September 10: Harvest moon
- October 9: Hunter’s moon
- November 8: Beaver moon
- December 7: Cold moon
Eclipses
One more lunar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse will happen this year, says The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Partial Solar eclipses happen when the moon passes in front of our sun and blocks its light partially. The partial solar eclipse this year will be on October 25 and will be visible in these regions:
- Greenland
- Iceland
- Europe
- Northeastern Africa
- Middle East
- Western Asia
- India
- Western China
The total lunar eclipse, according to the Almanac, will occur on November 8, between 3:01 AM ET and 8:58 AM ET, and these regions will witness it:
- Asia
- Australia
- Pacific
- South America
- North America
Meteor Showe
In 2022, there are 11 more meteor showers scheduled to awe star gazers:
Southern delta Aquariids: July 29 to 30
Alpha Capricornids: July 30 to 31
Perseids: August 11 to 12
Orionids: October 20 to 21
Southern Taurids: November 4 to 5
Opinions expressed by US Insider contributors are their own.
