A Rare Phenomenon Begins: The Great Planetary Parade - How to Watch

The Great Planetary Parade is a very rare phenomenon, occurring only once every 20 years on average. The 'stars' of the parade will be six planets from the Solar System: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Starting at 04:00 Yerevan time, the planets began to align in the sky. The Great Planetary Parade can be observed until sunset on June 3. For Central Russia, the phenomenon will last until approximately 21:00-22:00.

Seeing this cosmic marvel with the naked eye is extremely difficult, explained Nathan Eismont, a senior researcher at the Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It would be wiser to use a telescope or to follow the parade through online broadcasts on YouTube.

“The Great Planetary Parade is a unique event not only scientifically but also aesthetically. All six planets of our Solar System are lined up in the sky. When you see it, you feel like the hero of the movie 'Avatar'. Try to catch this miracle,” Eismont advises.

Weather permitting, the Great Planetary Parade can be viewed without a telescope. The next occurrence of this event will not be until 2040.