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Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Six Planets Now Aligned in the Dawn Sky

Six Planets Now Aligned in the Dawn Sky

Six planets and the waning crescent moon arrayed in the dawn sky on Saturday April 30, as seen from Los Angeles, California.

Six planets and the waning crescent moon arrayed in the dawn sky on Saturday April 30, as seen from Los Angeles, California.
CREDIT: Starry Night Software

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If you get up any morning for the next few weeks, you’ll be treated to the sight of all the planets except Saturn arrayed along the ecliptic, the path of the sun through the sky.

For the last two months, almost all the planets have been hiding behind the sun, but this week they all emerge and are arrayed in a grand line above the rising sun. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter are visible, and you can add Uranus and Neptune to your count if you have binoculars or a small telescope.

This sky map of the six planets shows how they should appear at dawn to observers with clear weather and an unobstructed view.

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