Five planets now visible in the pre-dawn sky

Earth’s five closest planetary neighbors are putting on a heavenly show.

This week Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn started gathering together in the pre-dawn sky. It’s the first time these five planets have converged like this in more than a decade. No telescope is needed. Just gaze up from most anywhere in the world.

All five planets will appear together until Feb. 20. For a decent shot at spotting Mercury, it’s best to look next week or the beginning of February.

Astronomers put optimal viewing at 45 minutes before sunrise. Any earlier, Mercury will be low on the horizon. The five planets will be together again in August – and again in 2020 – but Mercury will be even harder to see.

This story was originally published January 21, 2016 at 5:22 PM with the headline "Five planets now visible in the pre-dawn sky."