5 planets, crescent moon to light up night sky this weekend

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Friday, July 17, 2020
5 planets, crescent moon to light up night sky this weekend
Five planets will light up the night sky this weekend -- and a crescent moon will join the gathering, according to AccuWeather!

Five planets will light up the night sky this weekend -- and a crescent moon will join the gathering!

To see all of them at the same time, stargazers will need to wake up before dawn on Sunday and have a clear view of the horizon, according to AccuWeather.

Mercury and Venus will appear 45 minutes before sunrise from the east. Mars shines high and bright from the southeast, and Jupiter and Saturn will set from the southwest.

This is because Jupiter will reach opposition, meaning This is the point in its orbit when it's closest to the Earth, according to AccuWeather.

Mercury will be gone by the end of the month, but the other four planets will be marching across the sky all summer long.

This planetary gathering won't happen with the moon again before June 2022.

Comet Neowise should also be visible that night. The comet, discovered in March, is appearing brighter as it approaches the sun. At the moment, it is brighter than Halley's Comet was in 1986.