Rare Planetary Alignment Over NYC: How To View And When

NEW YORK CITY — Summer solstice will bring with it a rare alignment of five planets that won’t be seen again for decades, forecasters say.

A crescent moon will join a parade of planets in the nighttime skies over New York City throughout the entire second half of June, according to an Accuweather report.

The best mornings to view the celestial chorus line will be the three days after Tuesday's summer solstice, according to the report.

For the best chance to see all five planets, try to find a flat open space without trees, buildings and mountains to get in the way.

Sure, New York City has a lot of high-rises and light pollution, and our version of star-gazing is the brief eye contact and subtle nod of respect we give celebrities we spot on the subway.

(Star-gazing tip from Tom Hanks: Don't Knock Over Rita Wilson)

But there are places in the five boroughs to view this rare planetary spectacle, according to Space Tourism Guide. Here are just a few:

• Manhattan: Lincoln Center (An astronomers club is hosting a meetup at 8 p.m. Friday) and Inwood Hill Park
• Brooklyn: Brooklyn Bridge Park
• Queens: Alley Pond Environmental Center
• Staten Island: Great Kills Park
• The Bronx: Woodlawn Cemetery
• Complete list

The procession of planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, in that order — will be visible just above the eastern horizon during an hour or so before sunrise through the end of the month, according to AccuWeather.

The best date to mark is before 5 a.m. local time on June 24.

Best of all, the planetary alignment is visible without a telescope, though AccuWeather notes that Mercury may be hard to spot because it’s the dimmest of the planets and will be the lowest in the sky.

The last time the five planets lined up was in 2004, and it won’t happen again until 2040, according to AccuWeather.