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WHILE the night sky changes with the seasons during Earth’s orbit of the sun, the patterns of the stars remain consistent. The relative positions of the planets, on the other hand, do change, because each one works to a different schedule while travelling its own orbital path. Despite this, sometimes the stars – or, in this case, the planets – align, and we get a rare chance to see them all at once, at least the ones that are visible to the naked eye.

One such occasion is coming our way. Throughout late June, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will appear in our skies in a . The last time this happened was in 2020, and before that in 2016.

If you were to look down at our solar system from above during this alignment, the planets wouldn’t be in a straight line, but they would be positioned on the correct side of the sun to reflect its light back towards us. This is what gives them the appearance of sitting in a line when viewed from here on Earth.

In a lovely coincidence, this time the planets will line up in order of their distance from the sun: Mercury will be closest to the horizon, followed by Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. This ordering should help you to spot them, particularly if you can identify the bright white glow of Venus or the reddish tinge of Mars.

To see the planets, you need to get up early. They will be in the eastern sky about 45 minutes to an hour before sunrise. In both the northern and southern hemispheres, they will appear near to the horizon, so a clear, unobstructed view of the lower sky is needed to see them properly.

Mercury will be the faintest of them all, and also closest to the horizon. Jupiter will be brighter than the brightest stars, and – like Venus – will appear white. Saturn will have a paler, yellower hue.

Those lucky enough to be away from light pollution with a clear, dark sky might also be able to spot Uranus, although they will need a pair of binoculars. To help you find it, note that Uranus will be next to the moon on 24 and 25 June, so look out for it then. The moon will be next to Venus on 26 June and will pass Mercury on 27 June.

If you are uncertain whether you are looking at a star or not, remember the general rule that stars twinkle, planets don’t. The light from stars comes from so far away that it acts like a point source, similar to a laser beam. This means that, when compared to the light from planets, starlight is more susceptible to distortions in its direction when it enters our atmosphere. These distortions cause the apparent twinkle.

If that trick fails, as it sometimes does – because it can be difficult to tell whether a star is twinkling or not – don’t be afraid to use a stargazing app to help you identify each of the five visible planets.

This is a very rare opportunity, so the early start will be worth it.

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