Planets Align in the Morning Sky

Planets Align in the Morning Sky

The show comes to an end on May 30th when an exquisite crescent Moon joins the four planets for a Grand Finale--five heavenly lights dotting the eastern sky all at once.

by Dr. Tony Phillips
Science@NASA
Huntsville AL (SPX) May 10, 2011
Have you ever woken up at the crack of dawn, shuffled to the kitchen counter for your first cup of joe, only to discover that you're out of coffee beans? Cruel. This week it's not a problem, because there's something to open your eyes even better than coffee. Four bright planets are aligning in the morning sky.

Look out any east-facing window about a half hour before sunrise. If you have a clear view of the horizon, you'll see Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter clustered together in a patch of sky less than 10o wide. If you wanted to, you could hide them all behind your outstretched hand-but don't. The view is too good.

Planets Align in the Morning Sky