Five Planets Alignment

Five Planets Alignment

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn the five planets visible from Earth by the naked eye will form a line of bright points which has not happened since 2005. This alignment will be visible from southeast to south west from January 20 to, February 20 but the best time to catch a glimpse is the last week of January and first week of February be sure to be outside about 45 minutes before sunrise. For best results find an open field, away from tall buildings or trees, if you can find a location away from the city lights (light pollution) is preferred to see the glow of the planets. 

Even though you won’t need any special equipment to spot the planet in a line, you may want to bring a pair of binoculars to help find Mercury which will be very close to the horizon and only visible for a very short time before the sun comes up. Venus, Saturn and Jupiter will be the easiest planets to see, and Mars has a red glow to it which will help to spot it.

Check out OC Star Spots  for the best place near you in Orange County to view this event.