Planet parade: How to view the planetary phenomenon when Mercury, Venus and Saturn align Friday morning

For the second time this year, a planet parade will be visible in the night sky from the United States. These events often require special equipment, as planets cannot usually be seen with the naked eye, and will provide your best chance of catching a glimpse of the planetary lineup. Earlier this year, an even grander parade featuring Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars—highlighting how these events, although now frequently reported by the media, are not infrequent occurrences.

On Thursday evening, starting on April 24 and going into Friday morning, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn will align, and here are some tips if you are hoping to catch the event. “Find Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon gathered low in the east as dawn warms the morning sky,” said NASA in a blog post highlighting the events that stargazers will be able to catch in April. Of all the planets that will align on Friday morning, Mercury will be the easiest to spot, particularly by “those with a clear view [of] the horizon.”

These are the two planets that will be visible all month

In addition to this planetary event, NASA also informed the public earlier this month that Venus and Mars would be visible all month.

Venus will be visible in the morning in the United States, with NASA explaining that one might “notice it rising low in the east before dawn, looking a little higher each morning through the month.” Since we are arriving at the end of April, you might want to focus your view a little higher if you are looking to spot the gaseous planet.

When looking for Mars, you will want to keep your eyes peeled for what might look like a reddish star once it gets dark.

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