Parade of planets in sky; Mercury retrograde

Amanda Kooser (CNET); BuzzFeed; Ashley Wells, Sheldon S., CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Handy map of our sky/akasha-loka/space.

What to call it, Planet Parade? Planet Party? Planet-Palooza? Whatever, there will be a lovely lineup of the visible planets across the early morning sky in June.

Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are the stars of the show, but we might get lucky and spot Mercury, too.

The first prime viewing opportunity comes early on the mornings of June 3rd and 4th.

"All five naked-eye planets will line up in the dawn sky in June. Not only that, they'll also be in their proper order from the sun," Sky & Telescope said in a statement Tuesday.

Venus through Saturn should be easy to see if the sky is clear. Mercury is the wild card. Sky & Telescope recommends using binoculars and finding a place with a clear view low toward the east. Just be sure to get out there at least 30 minutes before the sun rises.

Check with timeanddate.com to find local sunrise times. The planet-fest will continue on through the month. A NASA graphic from the agency's What's Up Skygazing Guide shows what to look for in mid-June at around 45 minutes before sunrise. More