Rare Planetary Alignment Over WA Worth Getting Up Early To See

SEATTLE — A rare alignment of five planets that won’t be seen again for decades is coming to a peak after the summer solstice when a crescent moon joins the parade in the nighttime skies over Washington.

If you’re putting skywatching on your weekend agenda, the weather forecast over Western Washington is actually looking pretty favorable, with mostly clear and sunny skies overnight Friday into Saturday.

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, when a crescent moon joins the planetary parade.

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.

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

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

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