Posted in North Carolina June 09, 2022 by

Five Different Planets Will Align In The North Carolina Night Sky During An Incredibly Rare Display

Eighteen years; that’s how long it’s been since the five planets in our solar system that can be seen with the naked eye (they’re called the “naked-eye plants”) were all strewn across the sky and visible at once in order of their lineup from the sun. All month long, North Carolinians will be treated to the show as all five planets align over North Carolina – in order – and can be seen without a telescope.

Throughout the month of June 2022, celestial enthusiasts can spy in the early morning hours each day Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn as they spill across the sky from the east toward the south.
Steve Allen / Digital Vision Collection via Getty Images
North Carolina is a wonderful place for stargazing, with many places to which to retreat to capture the Milky Way, meteor showers, comets, and more. But the June sky show this year doles out something very unusual, indeed.
Paolo Carnassale / Moment Collection via Getty Images
Typically, when any of the five naked-eye planets are in the sky, they're easily observed because they tend to shine much brighter and more steadily than nearby stars. And while it's common to be able to see two or three of the naked-eye planets in the sky at one time, seeing all five of them in their successive order from the sun is rare.
Wikipedia/Brocken Inaglory
As the month wears on, we'll have more of an opportunity to see the first planet in the series, Mercury, which early on in the month was skirting the horizon. But now that we have a week or so behind us, Mercury and the other four planets will not only be easier to spot, they'll remain visible in the sky for longer each day, climaxing on June 24th and visible on that morning for about an hour!
Sky and Telescope
The above illustration depicts the arc the five planets will follow on the morning of June 24th.
Of course, the graphic of the solar system below is not what we can expect to see... although it sure would be nice to see them this large!
alxpin / E+ Collection via Getty Images
Keep your eyes just above the horizon to the east and then follow the sky to the right (toward the south) and look for the five brightest, gleaming lights in the sky.
Sky and Telescope

Do you recall in 2004 the last time we could see all five planets align over North Carolina? Eighteen years is a long time to wait to see this again! Don’t forget to set a reminder to get up early when the weather forecast calls for clear overnight skies.