The epic five-planet alignment of 2022 will still be visible in the skies this coming weekend.
But in order to revel in such a fantastic sky event, you have to wake up at the crack of dawn so that you'll be able to encounter the two of the brightest objects in the night sky: the Moon and Venus, in a romantic dance.
Don't miss such a wondrous chance!
It could be a little challenging to wake up and witness a spectacular view before sunrise since it has been starting so early in the Northern Hemisphere, according to Space.com.
This means that to enjoy to view, you'll have to wake up earlier than usual. The moon will ascend high above the skies to the right of the bright Venus on Saturday morning, June 25.
Space.com highly suggests setting your alarm for 60 to 90 minutes before the sun rises on Sunday, June 26, because this will be the best time to see the romantic dance between the Moon and Venus.
How to Watch the Celestial Event
A thin (7 percent lighted) waxing crescent moon, less than three days from the new phase, can be seen if you look downward toward the east-northeast horizon. Venus will be positioned around 2.5 degrees to the right, somewhat below, and close to this bright planet.
Even though the two objects appear near each other, Space.com noted that they are a million miles away. Venus is presently 128.8 million miles away from Earth, whereas the moon is around 515 times closer at 249,900 miles.
The famed Pleiades star cluster, which has been obscured by the sun's glare for the past month, is just starting to reappear 6.7 degrees above Venus if you look early enough and with quality binoculars while the sky is still black.
According to Space.com, to have a basis of reference, it must be noted that the width of a dime at arm's length is 2 degrees and the width of your closed fist is around 10 degrees.
Presently, Venus rises roughly 12 minutes after the break of dawn. The planet will appear to rise just a minute or two after the crack of dawn n in the upcoming weeks as Venus follows the sun across the northernmost region of the ecliptic and around the constellations Taurus and Gemini.
Space.com noted that this would stay on for the final ten days of July. But by the last week of August, Venus will only be ascending around 90 minutes before sunrise, and with each succeeding morning, it will be descending more and more quickly into the bright morning twilight.
Venus will virtually disappear from the early sky by the end of September.
Read also: Space Events 2022: NASA Missions, Meteor Showers, and More You Need to Watch Out
Apps to Guide Your Viewing!
To locate the celestial event with accuracy and ensure better viewing, here are some of the apps that can guide you:
- Starwalk 2
- Dark Sky Meter App
- Star Chart
- Dark Sky
- Telescope HD
- SkyEyelAstronomy
- Google Sky Map
- SkySafari
- Meteor Shower Calendar
Related Article: Moon Kisses the Sunset in a Heavenly Solar Eclipse at Atacama Desert
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
