5 planets align: When and how you can witness the rare phenomenon

It's a rare phenomenon that won't happen again for nearly two decades.

Five planets will be visible all at once this month, and they'll also appear in order.

Those who want to take in the show will have the best luck next week, according to a Vancouver-based expert.

"The best time to see it will be between June 23 and 25," astronomer Marley Leacock said, though it is visible now.

Leacock, who works at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, told CTV Morning Live Wednesday that those days are ideal because they're leading into a new moon – meaning the moon will be dim, making the planets easier to see.

She said in British Columbia, the fifth planet may not be visible because of how close it rises to the sun. She said the early sunlight will likely block Mercury from view.

But the other four (Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) should be visible, and with binoculars, if the weather co-operates, South Coast residents should be able to see Uranus as well. Mars is a bit more dim so it may be harder to see in areas with light pollution, but the other three tend to stick out even in areas with a lot of city lights.

As for how to find them, Leacock's advice is to look for a steady light.

"You know how stars twinkle? That whole nursery rhyme? Planets don't do that at all, they appear very steady," she said.

And they're easily distinguishable from satellites because they don't move.

"They'll just be a dot of light, steady and strong."

Her advice is to find a location with a clear view of the horizon, as the planets aren't rising very high in the sky, and to look northeast to due south.

"It does spread out across almost the entire sky in that direction. The planets are spaced quite far apart," she said.

She suggested Porteau Cove Provincial Park along Howe Sound, but said anywhere with the city lights behind a hopeful viewer tends to work.

This alignment is rare, Leacock said. All the planets orbit at different speeds. For example, Mercury takes 88 days to circle the sun, while Saturn takes 29 years.

"Everything has to get into the right spot at the right time," she said. "But we also have to be in the right spot at the right time.