The pre-dawn sky in the first week of April 2022 will be graced by the assembly of four planets, all visible before sunrise in the east-southeast sky of the United States. The planetary parade will give astronomers and stargazers multiple chances to spot three of the brightest planets, Venus, Mars, and Saturn.
It is a welcome event for budding astronomers as one will be able to witness many of the events with just the naked eye or most with a set of binoculars. Venus, Saturn, and Mars are within six degrees of separation, but each morning thereafter the configuration noticeably changes. Mars and Saturn approach each other more closely than the apparent diameter of the moon on April 5.
At the beginning of April 8, Jupiter will make its presence felt, albeit far below and to the left of the other three planets. By the morning of April 19, astronomers predict all four planets will be stretched out in a diagonal line spanning just over 30 degrees; from lower left to upper right: Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn.
Monday, April 4, 2022: Saturn and Mars in conjunction
One will be able to spot Saturn and Mars right next to the east other, separated by less than one degree in the southeast sky. On the left the much brighter planet, Venus will appear.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022: Saturn and Mars in conjunction and the Moon near the Pleiades
Before the sunrise, Saturn can be spotted on top of Mars still separated by around one degree. At the night a 21 percent illuminated crescent moon about 3° from the sparkling star cluster of the Pleiades can be spotted.
Wednesday, April 6, 2022: Mars heads toward Venus
This morning, and for the next few mornings, maars and Saturn will separate further as it appears to creep towards Venus.
Saturday, April 9, 2022: Jupiter appears, and a First Quarter Moon
On April 9 you can see Saturn, Mars, and Venus strung out above the horizon, and just before the sunrise, the giant planet Jupiter peak above the horizon. It will be spotted many times hence as it rises higher into the sky during the rest of April. The moon will appear to be 50% lit.
On April 30, Venus and Jupiter stand side-by-side, separated by 0.45 degrees when viewed from North America and visible together in a telescope’s low-to-medium power view. In the months to come, Venus will continue to travel to the edge of dawn low in the east until August, then will slowly sink into the sunrise. Meanwhile, Jupiter will be on the other side of the sky, dominating the evening views