A planetary alignment is a rare spectacular event that has always been a topic of great interest and speculations. Some predict the end of the world, others see the start of a new golden era. This May the world will witness the alignment of six planets, with May 11 being the best out of all.

Every morning in May the naked eye will be able to spot Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, and with a small telescope one can see Uranus and Neptune. 30 minutes before sunrise, the morning sky will show all the planets aligned across the sun’s path, except Saturn.

The planets line up was expected on December 21, 2012, that’s when fortune tellers predicted the end of the world and scientists awaited a spectacular show in the sky. However modern equipments and tools have showed that in 2012 no alignment will occur.

Instead, a visible alignment will be seen throughout the entire month of May. For the past two months Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Uranus and Neptune were not visible because of their location behind the sun, but starting May all planets started to line up above the rising sun.

The best morning for the largest and tightest conjunction of planets this century is May 11th. That's when the two brightest planets in our own solar system, Venus and Jupiter, will almost unite. Uranus and Neptune will be shining green but will need a good binocular to be seen.

"The very closest grouping will come Tuesday, May 10, when Venus, Jupiter and Mercury will be in a very close-knit triangle, with Mars to the left and below the triangle. Then on Wednesday May, 11, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury will be in a very straight line", said David L. DeBruyn.

On May 13th, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will form a "bright celestial triangle", and on May 20th, a new triangle will form. The show will end on May 30th, when the moon will join the four planets, and five "heavenly lights" will be seen at once in the morning sky.

Planetary conjunctions are rare events, therefore people who have the chance to enjoy the changing alignment of the planets every day in May, should not waste the chance. No worries, it doesn't mean that the world is ending. Interesting is how the doomsayers' predictions never seem to come true.

(Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)