Venus and Jupiter Stage June 9 Close Pass as 5 Planets Span May Skies
Updated
Updated · Forbes · May 15
Venus and Jupiter Stage June 9 Close Pass as 5 Planets Span May Skies
3 articles · Updated · Forbes · May 15
June 9-11 will bring the sharpest spectacle of May’s planet parade, with Venus and Jupiter appearing to pass closely after sunset in the western sky.
45 minutes after sunset this month, Venus and Jupiter are already visible in the southwest, while a thin crescent moon moves through the scene from May 17-20 and Mercury joins low on the horizon by May 24.
90 to 60 minutes before sunrise, Saturn and Mars are also visible low in the eastern sky, turning the parade into a pre-dawn and post-sunset event.
May’s setup is unusually broad because evening and morning planets are both on display, giving skywatchers a rare five-planet viewing window before summer advances.
What stargazing apps can guide you to the best views of the 2026 planet parade from your own backyard?
How does this year's dazzling 'planet parade' truly compare to other major celestial alignments of the past decade?
If ancient astrologers saw this alignment, what major world events might they have predicted for us today?