For months the “big three” planets—Jupiter, Saturn and Mars—have been visible only in the early hours, before dawn.
As June continues, the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn begin to pop into the late-evening sky, all making an appearance before midnight before the end of the month.
The rising and setting of the planets is an under-appreciated phenomenon that people can really enjoy.
When to see a planet-rise…
There are a few good websites and apps that will give you the precise times for each planet’s rise (in the east) and set (in the west) for your location.
It depends on where you are in the world—and what time-zone you’re in—but wherever you are you’ll see Jupiter rise first, then Saturn, and about 90 minutes later, Mars.
From Spain, these are the best times:
- Jupiter-rise: 00:30
- Saturn-rise: 00:44
- Mars-rise: 02:41
- However, keep checking back because the planets are rising earlier each night. By the end of the month, on June 30th, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible about 90 minutes earlier.
