The sky has been an interesting place to view in 2024, with solar flares causing the Northern Lights to be visible as far south as Florida, a solar eclipse and now the planets are planning a parade.
The parade of planets is actually a rare celestial event that is on the horizon as six planets will align beginning on June 3 ,and the phenomenon will occur again on Aug. 28.
MORE: Columbia County Board of Education celebrates high school athletes
NASA’s website explains that planets often align, but it is usually only two or three planets at a time; however with this event, dubbed the “parade of planets” will have Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune aligning in the sky, according to NASA.
Only Mars and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, but those with either a telescope or high powered binoculars will be able to view all or most of the parade, according to NASA’s timetable that shows graphics on exactly how and when the planets will align.
Planets travel at different speeds as they orbit the sun and that combined with the fact the ellipticals, or orbit, vary in length means that occasionally planets will catch up to each other and form a line in space.
According to NASA, the best times to view are at dawn and dusk, so viewers should point their telescopes towards the east to catch a glimpse.
Each of the two upcoming parades will only last for about three days.
Officials with the DuPont Planetarium at USC Aiken say that the viewing times are outside of the normal times when the facility is open to the public, which is on Saturday evenings, so there will be no special events at the planetarium showcasing the parade.
The last planetary alignment seen in the Northern Hemisphere occurred on April 8 when the moon aligned with the sun and created a solar eclipse viewed by millions.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
