How To See 5 Planets Align In Order For First Time In 18 Years | Mashable

The Mashable 101 Creator Hub Tech Science Life Social Good Entertainment Deals Shopping Games Search Cancel

• Search Result

The Mashable 101 Creator Hub Tech Apps & Software Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity Cryptocurrency Mobile Smart Home Social Media Tech Industry Transportation All Tech Science Space Climate Change Environment All Science Life Family & Parenting Health & Wellness Sex, Dating & Relationships Sleep Careers Mental Health All Life Social Good Activism Gender LGBTQ Racial Justice Sustainability Politics All Social Good Entertainment Games Movies Podcasts TV Shows Watch Guides All Entertainment SHOP THE BEST Laptops Budget Laptops Dating Apps Sexting Apps Hookup Apps VPNs Robot Vaccuums Robot Vaccum & Mop Headphones Speakers Kindles Gift Guides Mashable Choice Mashable Selects All Sex, Dating & Relationships All Laptops All Headphones All Robot Vacuums All VPN All Shopping Games Product Reviews Adult Friend Finder Bumble Premium Tinder Platinum Kindle Paperwhite PS5 vs PS5 Slim All Reviews All Shopping Deals Newsletters Series Top creators, ranked Look Up Versus Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Readers' Choice Switch Off Mashable Selects March Mindfulness Say More Furtastic Trending Now Safety Net All Series VIDEOS Mashable Shows All Videos Five planets are aligning in their order from the sun in the early morning sky in June 2022. Credit: Sky & Telescope illustration

The five so-called naked-eye planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — are having a rare solar system reunion right now.

In the morning hours throughout June, early risers have been able to catch the planets in the sky from low in the east to higher in the south. This is what astronomers refer to as conjunction.

What makes this event even more unique is the planets are visible in their natural order from the sun. Not since December 2004 has this occurred, according to Sky & Telescope magazine.

You May Also Like SEE ALSO: Vigilant amateur asteroid hunters keep watch for menacing space rocks

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Two or three planets strung across the sky is fairly common, but getting the fab five together at once happens much less often.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. Loading... Sign Me Up Use this instead By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

“Planetary conjunctions traditionally have been more the stuff of astrology than serious astronomy," said Mitzi Adams, a NASA astronomer and researcher in a blog last month, "but they never fail to impress during observations, particular when the gas giants are involved.”

And the parade of planets is about to get even better for viewing. The gang will again line up in order Friday morning, June 24, with Mercury much easier to spot. The peak time to see the conjunction is after dawn and it will last about an hour before sunlight washes out the sky.

"But the real bonus is the waning crescent Moon positioned between Venus and Mars," the magazine said in a statement, "serving as a proxy Earth."

Skywatching experts recommend checking the southeastern horizon any morning between now and Friday if the weather forecast is cloudy for that day.

In the next few months, the planets will appear to spread out farther and farther each morning. By September, Venus and Saturn will exit the stage.

Topics Innovations

Elisha Sauers

Elisha Sauers writes about space for Mashable, taking deep dives into NASA's moon and Mars missions, chatting up astronauts and history-making discoverers, and jetting above the clouds. Through 17 years of reporting, she's covered a variety of topics, including health, business, and government, with a penchant for public records requests. She previously worked for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia, and The Capital in Annapolis, Maryland. Her work has earned numerous state awards, including the Virginia Press Association's top honor, Best in Show, and national recognition for narrative storytelling. For each year she has covered space, Sauers has won National Headliner Awards, including first place for her Sex in Space series. Send space tips and story ideas to [email protected] or text 443-684-2489. Follow her on X at @elishasauers.

Recommended For You NASA's Hubble saw fledgling planets colliding around a nearby star Mini worlds are smashing into each other. 12/20/2025 By Elisha Sauers Get a free $20 gift card when you pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 at Amazon This Prime exclusive is selling fast. 02/26/2026 By Joseph Green The new Apple iPad Air is live on Walmart: Pre-order now to save up to $60 The new Apple iPad Air is live on Walmart: Pre-order now to save up to $60 03/04/2026 By Lauren Allain The Pokémon TCG: Perfect Order Build and Battle Box is live at Amazon and Walmart — save almost $10 Prep your Perfect Order deck for release day. 03/11/2026 By Ben Williams Pre-order the Pokémon: TCG Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box for under market price — save vs. Amazon Walmart beats Amazon and TCGplayer on this ETB. 03/12/2026 By Ben Williams More in Science ChatGPT's sex-centered adult mode raises red flags at OpenAI Insiders worry the bot would become a "sexy suicide coach." 2 hours ago By Chase DiBenedetto The tech trends getting buzz at SXSW 2026 Sustainability, AI in video games, and your very own Darth Vader chamber. 2 hours ago By Timothy Beck Werth Teens sue xAI for Grok's reported sexual image generation issues The class action suit claims Elon Musk saw an opportunity to profit from sexual predation. 3 hours ago By Anna Iovine Sears AI chatbot chats and audio files found exposed online Hours of audio recordings captured after chats ended were among the exposed data. 4 hours ago By Chance Townsend The best AirPods deals to shop ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale — save on AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3 Some deals are already live, so there's no need to wait. 7 hours ago By Hannah Hoolihan Trending on Mashable NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 17, 2026 Everything you need to solve 'Connections' #1010. 17 hours ago By Mashable Team How to watch Manchester City vs. Real Madrid online for free Access free live streams of the Champions League from anywhere in the world. 2 hours ago By Joseph Green That wild 'Scarpetta' ending, explained Who is the killer? But also, who's at the door? 03/11/2026 By Shannon Connellan How to watch Arsenal vs. Leverkusen online for free Access free live streams of the Champions League from anywhere in the world. 2 hours ago By Joseph Green How to watch Real Madrid vs. Man City online for free Live stream the Champions League without spending anything. 03/11/2026 By Joseph Green The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox. Loading... Sign Me Up Use this instead These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!