In an uncommon event, five planets arc across the morning sky

Five, count ’em, five of our fellow planets in the solar system are lined up for a predawn show that has not occurred for more than a decade.

Those who brave the cold on a clear morning for the next couple of weeks have an opportunity to say hi to Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter in the southern sky. They arc across Earth’s orbit, which is called the plane of the ecliptic.

It may look like they are all the same distance from Earth.

“It’s an illusion,” said Joe Wright, astronomer and operations manager of the Warkoczewski Observatory at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Saturn is more than 13 times as far away from us as Mercury.

The planetary display is best seen here about 6:45 a.m., roughly 45 minutes before sunrise.

First, locate Venus in the southeastern sky. It’s the brightest object because it is relatively close, and its gas atmosphere is very reflective. To the east and lower to the horizon will be Mercury. Saturn will be higher in the sky and to the west of Venus. Higher still and almost due south will be the red planet Mars. Jupiter will be slightly lower than Mars in the far southwestern sky.

Sky & Telescope magazine says this hasn’t happened in more than a decade. The optimal viewing period will be through the first week of February.

“Think about how long we, as a human species, have been watching the planets go around,” said Wright. “Our ancestors, the nomads in the Middle East, Mesopotamia and Asia, we’ve all watched the same planets go around for millions of years, and we’re still looking at it.”

All five should be visible to the naked eye, but Wright said people using binoculars may be able to pick out four of Jupiter’s larger moons and a thin line of Saturn’s rings.

“I know it’s cold, but I encourage people to bundle up, get out for a few minutes and take a look at it because it is uncommon,” Wright said. “Most people don’t see five planets.”

Or as Elizabeth Brown of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City points out, “You can see six if you look down.”

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 1:39 PM with the headline "In an uncommon event, five planets arc across the morning sky."