THIS MONTH’S PLANETS
A planetary parade featuring Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn is something spectacular to look out for in the dawn sky
PLANET OF THE MONTH
Usually we take a close look at a single planet that’s particularly well-placed for observation, or is unusually bright, but this month we’re going to look forward to a parade of planets that will be visible in the sky. It’s not rare for a couple of planets to appear to meet in the sky. Groupings of more than two planets happen occasionally, but sometimes Earth and the other planets align in such a way that we can see a larger number of them spread out across the sky in a line. This is what will happen in the middle of April. As dawn approaches, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Jupiter will rise one after another in quick succession, forming a chain of worlds spread out from the east to the southeast.