In mid-May, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Mercury will join the Moon in the sky. This image represents the order in which you will see these bodies around May 13th from high to low in the sky: Jupiter, the Moon, Venus, Mars, Saturn and then Mercury. Please note: planet sizes are not meant to be to scale.
Click on image for full size
Windows to the Universe original image
Planetary Alignment 2002
News story originally written on April 24, 2002
There is something special happening in the night sky. Through mid-May, you will be able to see five
planets at the same time! This doesn't happen very often, so you won't want to miss this.
Use the links below to find out where the planets will be on a given night.
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