A grand tour of the solar system

Technically all nine planets have the possibility of being viewed during the month of June. I hear you. You said "nine" in a questioning manner. Yes, nine. I still consider Pluto to be a planet.

Alas, for us non-early risers, only one will be in the evening sky. That is our ringed friend, Saturn. It is just below Leo the Lion and can be found about 45 degrees above the southwest horizon beginning at about 9 p.m. local time.

Look for the backward question mark indicating Leo's head. The bright star Regulus is the point of the question mark. Saturn can be found a little more than the width of your fist held at arms length to the left of Regulus.

A telescope will show the almost flat ring plain. The ring plain has been closing for several months now and will be totally flat in September. An event we won't see because Saturn will be lost in the glow of the Sun.

If you really want to see this "parade of planets" set your alarm for 4 a.m., on Saturday, June 13. I know, I am sorry, but that has to be the time if you are really serious about planet hunting.

That morning head outside for a place with a real good view to the south and bring your binoculars. This will be easy because a 20-day old moon will be showing us the way to find Jupiter and Neptune, although the glow of the moon may wash out the dim outer planet, it is still worth a look. Again, don't confuse the star Mu Capricorni for the planet. The star is slightly to the right and level with Jupiter while Neptune is above and to the right on a line drawn from the moon to the king of planets.

OK, that's three planets. On Tuesday, June 16, again set your alarm for 4 a.m., grab the coffee and the binoculars and head out for your favorite dark place. This time, look to the southeast for a slender crescent of a moon with the very dim outer planet Uranus about six degrees to the lower right of the moon, a little more than the width of your binocular field of view. OK, that's four in the bag.

Now, I will have a little mercy on you. This time set the alarm for 4:30 a.m. on Friday, June 19. Look in the east, again for a slender crescent of a moon. Just to the moon's lower right a very bright Venus will be showing off. Between the moon and Venus will be a much dimmer Mars.

If you really want to test your viewing skills, check further down and left of the celestial trio and attempt to find the Pleiades star cluster, the Seven Sisters.

OK, now, that is six down and three to go and this next one will be a toughie. Since we are already out on the 19th, why not try for a very difficult to find Mercury. Binoculars at least will be needed and at the extreme a telescope. Look just beyond the Pleiades star cluster about as far and down and to the left of the Pleiades as the Pleiades are from Venus. Mercury will be a very small dot in the growing glow of the sunrise.

If you can't find it on the 19th, come back on the 21st at the same time and use an excruciatingly slender crescent moon to find the inner most planet. It will be level with the moon and a little more than the width of your binocular viewing field of view to the right.

OK, that's seven. Now, remember way back at the first of the column I said there was a "technical possibility" of viewing all the planets. Well, that is an extreme possibility because Pluto is in the sky, but a very large telescope combined with some astro-photography will be needed to find it. It is located just above the top of the lid on the tea pot shape of Sagittarius in the south at about 11:30 p.m. You will just have to take it by faith that it is there. That makes eight.

Wait, want about the ninth? Look down, you are standing on it.

SKY WATCH: I think that is about enough viewing for one week.

NEXT TIME: More astronomical blathering.