Five Brightest Planets Will Be Lined Up to View Wednesday
Those extra bright spots in the sky Wednesday morning may look like regular ole stars we've seen a million times, but they will actually be the five brightest planets all lined up in a row for the first time in a decade. What time do we need to look up?
Early! It's happening before dawn on Wednesday, January 20th. The five brightest planets - Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter - are on a path that will line them up in a row Wednesday morning, and they'll stay that way until February 20th. It's the first time in a decade that this has happened.
The Huffington Post says, "Jupiter will rise first, followed by the red-tinted Mars, golden-looking Saturn, brightest planet Venus and lastly Mercury." Exact times will vary each day, but count on it before the sun rises.
Will we need a big, fancy telescope to see the planets? Nope! They'll be visible with the naked eye. Just play connect-the-dots with the five brightest bulbs in the sky and you've found them.
This phenomenon may happen again in August, but the straight line of planets won't be quite as perfect then because Mercury and Venus will be a little bit lower and more rebellious at that point.
Impress your spouse with this romantic moment waiting to happen! If he or she doesn't mind getting up at 5am that is. And if we miss it, I'm sure our friends will plaster it on social media.