TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A somewhat rare planetary alignment will be a spectacle in the morning skies through the end of April.
Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn will appear about an hour before sunrise each morning, low in the southeastern horizon.
Jupiter and Venus are the brightest, Mars has a reddish hue and while you don’t need it, if you use a telescope to view Saturn, you can see its rings. You can also use a telescope to see Jupiter’s four moons.
While you’re at it, you can test you astronomy skills to find Neptune, which is also in the within the planet parade, but not visible to the naked eye. Neptune is in between Jupiter and Venus, and has a blueish tint.
The alignment will get even better next week. On Tuesday, April 26, the crescent moon will join in on the fun. That morning, the moon will position itself in between Venus and Mars.
To get an extra special treat, Friday morning at 5:54 am, the International Space Station will pass overhead. Look southwest as it begins its journey across the sky. It will have a max height of 84 degrees and then pass exit the sky to the northeast. The whole pass will last five minutes.
