Catch a glimpse of these five planets Saturday morning in Fort Worth. Here’s when to look
Five planets will line up early Saturday morning, making it the second planetary alignment this year.
Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus and Mercury will line up within a 93-degree sky sector, according to astronomy website Star Walk.
What is a planetary alignment?
A planetary alignment is when several planets gather at the same time forming a line.
An alignment is different from a planetary parade, which is a phrase that means several planets can be seen in the sky in one night.
Both of these differ from a planetary conjunction. According to Sky Walk, a planetary conjunction is when two or more planets appear close to each other in the sky.
Are planetary alignments rare?
Planetary alignments are not rare, but they are not regularly occurring, Live Science reported.
There was another planetary alignment in March which included the planets Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Uranus. Prior to that alignment, the last occurrences happened in 2020, 2016 and 2005, the Star-Telegram previously reported.
When can I see the planetary alignment?
Fort Worth residents will be able to see the planetary alignment early Saturday morning about an hour before sunrise.
Saturn will be the first planet visible as early as the middle of the night late Friday and early Saturday.
Neptune will be next, but may only be visible with binoculars or a telescope. Jupiter will follow Neptune and be bright and easy to spot.
Uranus will follow Jupiter and, similar to Neptune, Sky Walk advises viewers to have a pair of binoculars on hand to catch a glimpse of this planet.
Mercury will be the last planet to rise before sunrise.
How do I know if I see a planet or star?
Stars tend to be brighter than the light from a planet, according to NASA.
Sky Walk recommends using the Sky Tonight app to help check if you see a star or a planet.
