5 Planets Will Align Over California: Forecast, How To Watch

CALIFORNIA — A rare alignment of five planets that won’t be seen again for decades is coming to a peak after the summer solstice when a crescent moon joins the parade in the nighttime skies over California.

If you’re putting skywatching on your agenda, the weather forecast in California will be clear and cool inland, with temperatures in the mid 60s, according to AccuWeather.

Along the coast, there will be clouds, so best to head inland for an optimal view.

The procession of planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, in that order — will be visible just above the eastern horizon during an hour or so before sunrise through the end of the month, according to AccuWeather.

The best date to mark is before 5 a.m. local time on Thursday, when a crescent moon joins the planetary parade.

Best of all, the planetary alignment is visible without a telescope, though AccuWeather notes that Mercury may be hard to spot because it’s the dimmest of the planets and will be the lowest in the sky.

For the best chance to see all five planets, try to find a fairly flat open space without trees, buildings and mountains to get in the way.

The last time the five planets lined up was in 2004, and it won’t happen again until 2040, according to AccuWeather.

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