Mini Planetary Parade With Mercury, Venus And Jupiter To Light Up Sky Tonight. Check Details

Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter will be converging in the western sky this evening (June 12) in what scientists are describing as a mini planetary parade. The best time to observe the alignment is expected to be roughly 30 to 45 minutes after sunset, as the three planets will appear low above the western horizon, offering a brief show before they dip below the skyline.

A clear, unobstructed view to the west and minimal light pollution will significantly improve visibility for the skygazers, according to a report in Space.com. Venus will be the easiest of the three to locate as it is called the "Evening Star," and outshines every other planet in the night sky.

Jupiter will appear close to Venus, while Mercury may sit lower on the horizon and could be harder to pick out against the twilight. The parade is expected to remain visible through June 15, though June 12 is considered the peak date.

"From June 11th through June 15th, Mercury joins the scene, creating a mini parade of planets low in the western sky. This happens because the planets orbit the sun along nearly the same path in our sky, called the ecliptic," NASA stated.

Later in the month, on June 17, a thin crescent Moon will join the scene, forming shifting triangular arrangements with the three planets. Mercury's visibility will deteriorate through the rest of June. By June 23, its brightness will have declined significantly, and it will likely become undetectable to the naked eye shortly after.

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What is planetary alignment?

Astronomers use planetary alignment to describe the phenomenon when planets gather closely on one side of the Sun at the same time. Any number of planets, ranging from three to eight constitutes an alignment. Five or six planets showing up together is known as a large alignment, with five-planet alignments significantly more frequent than six. However, seven-planet alignments are the rarest of all.

Unlike diagrams and illustrations, the planets will not be visible in a queue. Planets orbit the Sun in different orbits in three-dimensional space which makes it almost impossible for them to come together in a straight line. However, since all planets orbit the Sun in nearly the same plane, it causes them to appear gathered along the same arc as seen from Earth.