Space work continues in April with two meteor showers and the historic launch of Artemis II, which finally returned humans to the moon and is expected to return home on Friday. Stargazers looking for more to do on the first full moon of spring have a few things coming up, including the dwarf planet show where four planets are set to be in the sky at the same time.
A small parade starts around April 16 and lasts until the end of the month. It includes Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune. All four planets are relatively close to each other on the eastern horizon just before sunrise each day. Those planning to watch the show will need to stay up almost all night or get up early to see it.
Four planets will be visible just before sunrise on the eastern horizon.
The best time to watch it depends on where you are. If you are at a higher altitude, the best time is before 6am local time. People at sea level will have to wait for the planets to rise above the horizon just after 6am, and they will be chased by the sun quickly, giving viewers a small window to view all four planets before sunrise.
Since sunrise depends on location, you may have 40 minutes or less to see all four planets. You’ll want to check the sunrise times in your area to see if you have enough time to see all four planets before sunrise.
Neptune will not be visible to the naked eye, but it will be close to the other three planets.
The sun’s proximity to the small window makes April’s planet one of the most difficult to see, according to Geza Gyuk, executive director of astronomy at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium.
“Mercury, as always, is close to the sun and difficult to see,” Gyuk told me. “Since Mars and Saturn will be closer to Mercury, it will also be difficult to see them outside of the very low eastern atmosphere.”
April’s planetary display becomes easier to see as the days go on, and efforts made after April 20 may be more successful than those made before. April 18 to 24 are the best days to try. Before those days, Saturn is a little closer to the sun and rises late on the horizon, and after them, Mercury begins to drift closer to the sun.
Get out (or borrow) a pair of binoculars
Skygazers need at least a telescope to see all four planets, as Neptune is invisible to the naked eye.
Even using a telescope, Gyuk says it takes some skill to pick out Neptune in the night sky. He also recommends taking binoculars, as they will make the other three planets easier to see, but warns sky watchers to be careful not to look directly at the sun while using them.
The general rules of stargazing apply: You’ll have better luck moving away from light pollution, so leave the city and underground areas for the best view.
The chance to see four planets in the sky at the same time, and so close together, is very rare. Gyuk says astronomers don’t usually refer to these events as star parades — instead they call them “planetary alignments” — but they also rarely pass up an opportunity to view the planets in a unique way like this one.
“I always try to catch at least a little whenever this kind of planetary alignment happens,” Gyuk said. “I’m happy about that.”
