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

NEW JERSEY — 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 New Jersey.

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.

Sunrise now occurs at about 5:30 a.m. in New Jersey. But if you’re putting skywatching on the agenda, you might want to wait for an early morning with a clear sky.

Thursday night through Friday morning features rain in the forecast, according to AccuWeather. But there's a better chance of clearer skies during the weekend's early mornings, according to the forecast.

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 any trees, buildings or mountains 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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