On Sunday, July 19, about 45 minutes before sunrise, you'll be able to see five of the planets along with the moon without using a telescope. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the moon will all be visible.
Jeffrey Hunt, an astronomy educator and former planetarium director, wrote about the event in a post on his website, "When the Curves Line Up," and talked about how we can get a glimpse of the planets and moon on Sunday.
«To your eyes, they won't be like we're used to from aircraft photos , they'll look more like incredibly bright stars.»
You may have more difficulty spotting Mercury . Hunt advises trying to see it about 45 minutes before sunrise, using binoculars.
«To see the planets and the moon, go outside early Sunday morning, at least an hour before sunrise. Find the four bright planets Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter. They look like extremely bright stars. Bright Venus is low in the east-northeast. Mars is the only "star" in the southeast, while Jupiter and Saturn are in the southwest.»
On his website, Hunt gives tips for finding each planet more easily . Venus “on fire sky,” he says.
The thin crescent moon will be very low, in the east-northeast part of the sky and will be illuminated by only about 1%. Mercury will be to the right of the moon, Mars will be high roughly in the middle of the sky in the south-southeast, Jupiter will be directly above the horizon in the southwest and Saturn will be above to the left of Jupiter.
More novice observers may want some technological help to see the planets at the moon conjunction on Sunday. According to Hunt, “Sky Google , Night Sky and Star Walk are apps that can help with spotting planets in the sky.”
The spectacle will be visible in both the northern and southern hemispheres. On the south side of the equator, he says, Mars is in the northwest, not the southeast.
If you miss the sighting on Sunday morning, you will be able to see them for a few extra mornings after July 19, but you will not see the moon accompanying them.
«In the immediately following mornings, look for the planets 3 to 4 minutes earlier each day. They will be visible until about July 25.»
If you miss the five planets' encounter with the moon, you'll have to wait a while until you get the chance again, as the next encounter is in late July 2022, Hunt said.
