This morning's "parade of planets" proved "underwhelming." NASA gave a date for an even better and brighter one. - CBS News

You may have heard about a "parade of planets" that was set to grace the early morning skies on Monday morning with a rare celestial event. But if you missed it, don't worry – experts say you were misled, and there will be another time soon to better see a planetary lineup.

Talk of the June 3 "parade of planets" seemed to stem from a social media post from the space news site "Latest in Space." In a May 21 post, Latest in Space said that "in a rare event, six planets will align in a straight line on Monday (June 3) just before sunrise in the northern hemisphere," claiming that Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn "will all be visible." 

Many quickly took it to mean that all of the planets would be visible to the naked eye. But according to the experts, no such "spectacular celestial event" was set to appear this morning. 

According to space news site Space.com, planets simply cannot be seen as disks to the naked eye – even the brightest ones will twinkle as stars. The set positioning of the planets this morning also proved problematic to the event, as Mercury and Jupiter "will be very close to the position of the sun in the sky and thus likely will be masked by the brilliant glow of morning twilight," the website said. The two planets could be visible with binoculars, but one would need a flat horizon and no obstructions to see them, the site said.

Uranus is visible to the naked eye, but only in dark and non-polluted skies, but because it was only set to rise about an hour before sunrise this morning, the sky was already too bright to really see it. 

"If you step outside at around 3:30 or 4 a.m. on Monday morning, don't expect to be awed by the sight of a planet parade," Space.com said. "What you will likely see is a crescent moon and a bright orange 'star' shining to its right (Mars) and farther off to the right will be another relatively bright 'star' glowing with a yellowish-white hue (Saturn)."

The website also noted that while seeing such a parade would be rare, planets aligning isn't a rare event as they are all on an orbital plane. 

NASA has also confirmed that Monday morning's alignment wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. 

"In reality, only two of the six planets supposedly on display (Saturn and Mars) will actually be visible," NASA said. "In early June, Jupiter and Mercury will be at or below the horizon in morning twilight and not visible; Uranus and Neptune are far too faint to see without a telescope, especially as the morning sky brightens." 

The closest thing to a "parade of planets" will happen on June 29, NASA said, when Saturn, the moon, Mars, and Jupiter will line up in the morning. 

Sky chart showing the planets Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter forming a diagonal line across the morning sky in late June. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Space.com also noted another planetary lineup that's set for next winter. According to the site, the moon, Saturn, Venus and Jupiter will be aglow in the early evening sky on Jan. 31, 2025, and/or Feb. 1. Mars will also be visible and "more than six times brighter than it appears to us now." 

"Compared to all that, the ballyhooed "Parade of Planets" on June 3 can best be described with a single word: underwhelming," the site said.

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Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a senior social media producer at CBS News. She previously wrote for amNewYork and The Seminole Tribune. She mainly covers climate, environmental and weather news.

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China Lands Spacecraft on Moon's 'Hidden Side' to Collect Samples - The Wall Street Journal

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1. China Lands Spacecraft on Moon's 'Hidden Side' to Collect Samples  The Wall Street Journal
2. China's lunar probe is retrieving samples from the far side of the Moon  The Verge
3. Watch China's Chang'e 6 probe land on far side of the moon in dramatic video  Space.com
4. China Lands Spacecraft on Far Side of the Moon  The New York Times
5. China's historic Chang'e 6 moon landing brings 'space race' into sharper focus  Semafor

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Last-minute computer issues halt Boeing rocket launch moments before takeoff in yet another failure - New York Post

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Last-minute computer trouble nixed Saturday’s launch attempt for Boeing’s first astronaut flight, the latest in a string of delays over the years.

Two NASA astronauts were strapped in the company’s Starliner capsule when the countdown automatically was halted at 3 minutes and 50 seconds by the computer system that controls the final minutes before liftoff.

With only a split second to take off, there was no time to work the latest problem and the launch was called off.

The astronauts were ready to go when the launch was suddenly halted. AP

Technicians raced to the pad to help astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams out of the capsule atop the fully fueled Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Within an hour of the launch abort, the hatch was reopened.

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The team can’t get to the computers to troubleshoot the problem until the rocket is drained of all its fuel, said Tory Bruno, CEO for the rocket maker, United Launch Alliance.

Bruno said one of the three redundant computers located near the rocket at the pad was sluggish. All three must work properly to proceed with a launch, he said.

Depending on what needs to be fixed, the next launch attempt could be as early as Wednesday. If it doesn’t blast off this coming week, then that would be it until mid-June in order to move the rocket off the pad and replace batteries.

“This is the business that we’re in,” Boeing’s Mark Nappi said. “Everything’s got to work perfectly.”

It was the second launch attempt. The first try on May 6 was delayed for leak checks and rocket repairs.

The launch was halted due to a computer issue. AP

NASA wants a backup to SpaceX, which has been flying astronauts since 2020.

Boeing should have launched its first crew around the same time as SpaceX, but its first test flight with no one on board in 2019 was plagued by severe software issues and never made it to the space station.

A redo in 2022 fared better, but parachute problems and flammable later caused more delays. A small helium leak in the capsule’s propulsion system last month came on top of a rocket valve issue.

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More valve trouble cropped up two hours before Saturday’s planned liftoff, but the team used a backup circuit to get the ground-equipment valves working to top off the fuel for the rocket’s upper stage.

Launch controllers were relieved to keep pushing ahead, but the computer system known as the ground launch sequencer ended the effort.

“Of course, this is emotionally disappointing,” NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, the backup pilot, said from neighboring Kennedy Space Center shortly after the countdown was halted.

But he said delays are part of spaceflight. “We’re going to have a great launch in our future.”

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Chinese spacecraft successfully lands on moon's far side - The Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.

The landing module touched down at 6:23 a.m. Beijing time in a huge crater known as the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the China National Space Administration said.

The mission is the sixth in the Chang’e moon exploration program, which is named after a Chinese moon goddess. It is the second designed to bring back samples, following the Chang’e 5, which did so from the near side in 2020.

The moon program is part of a growing rivalry with the U.S. — still the leader in space exploration — and others, including Japan and India. China has put its own space station in orbit and regularly sends crews there.

The emerging global power aims to put a person on the moon before 2030, which would make it the second nation after the United States to do so. America is planning to land astronauts on the moon again — for the first time in more than 50 years — though NASA pushed the target date back to 2026 earlier this year.

U.S. efforts to use private-sector rockets to launch spacecraft have been repeatedly delayed. Last-minute computer trouble nixed the planned launch of Boeing’s first astronaut flight Saturday.

Earlier Saturday, a Japanese billionaire called off his plan to orbit the moon because of uncertainty over the development of a mega rocket by SpaceX. NASA is planning to use the rocket to send its astronauts to the moon.

In China’s current mission, the lander is to use a mechanical arm and a drill to gather up to 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of surface and underground material over about two days.

An ascender atop the lander will then take the samples in a metal vacuum container back to another module that is orbiting the moon. The container will be transferred to a re-entry capsule that is due to return to Earth in the deserts of China’s Inner Mongolia region about June 25.

Missions to the moon’s far side are more difficult because it doesn’t face the Earth, requiring a relay satellite to maintain communications. The terrain is also more rugged, with fewer flat areas to land.

The South Pole-Aitken Basin, an impact crater created more than 4 billion years ago, is 13 kilometers (8 miles) deep and has a diameter of 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles), according to a report by China’s Xinhua News Agency.

It is the oldest and largest of such craters on the moon, so may provide the earliest information about it, Xinhua said, adding that the huge impact may have ejected materials from deep below the surface.

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A 'planet parade' happens June 3, but NASA just rained on it. What Hoosiers will, won't see - IndyStar

Hoosiers who wake up early Monday morning might catch a "parade of planets," as some have dubbed it — an alignment of six planets happening in the predawn hours of June 3.

While that's exciting news, avid skywatchers might need to curb their enthusiasm. Most of these planets won't be visible in the U.S., according to NASA, which said the next closest thing to a "planetary parade" isn't happening until much later.

Here's what we know about it and other celestial events in June.

What six planets will align June 3, 2024?

The alignment June 3 will consist of Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn. Experts say most of those planets will be hidden from view, however.

NASA debunks visibility of 'planet parade'

As part of its annual monthly skywatching tips, NASA included a note debunking notions that the parade of planets would be easy to watch.

"Some online sources have shared excitement about a 'parade of planets' visible in the morning sky in early June (June 3 in particular). In reality, only two of the six planets supposedly on display — Saturn and Mars — will actually be visible," according to a statement from NASA, adding that Jupiter and Mercury won't likely be visible because they'll be at or below the horizon in morning twilight.

And without a telescope, Uranus and Neptune are far too faint for the naked eye to see, NASA said, especially as the morning sky brightens.

What planets can I see aligned in Indiana on June 3?

The planetary alignment will be visible across the Northern Hemisphere toward the eastern sky, weather permitting, but have a pair of binoculars with you, suggested Butler University Physics & Astronomy professor Brian Murphy.

"With a clear northeast horizon, and perhaps a pair of binoculars, one should be able to pick out Jupiter and Mercury," Murphy said in a message to IndyStar. "The Moon, Mars and Saturn should be no issue since they appear far from the Sun in the sky. In fact, they can be seen well before sunrise."

Venus, however, and many other planets in alignment, will be nearly impossible to spot because of their proximity to the sun, Murphy said.

What time do the planets align?

The alignment happens June 3, 2024, just before dawn. Murphy said the best time to watch the skies will be 15-30 minutes ahead of sunrise.

'Too outside-y.'Read the most absurd 1-star reviews of Indiana state parks in time for summer

What's the weather forecast for Central Indiana on June 3?

As of Friday, according to the National Weather Service for Central Indiana, Sunday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Monday will have mostly sunny skies with a high near 85, south winds of 3 to 8 mph and a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m.

Do you need a telescope or binoculars to see the planets?

At the very least, experts say you'll need high-powered binoculars to view the majority of the planets — Mercury and Jupiter will be extremely low in the sky. Uranus will be fairly dim and Neptune will appear star-like with binoculars due to its distance from Earth. But Mars and Saturn should be visible to the naked eye.

NASA says another 'planet parade' is happening in late June

The closest thing to another "planet parade," says NASA, will happen June 29, 2024, when Saturn, the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter will line up across the morning sky.

How do planetary alignments happen?

The planets in our solar system orbit the sun continuously. Over time, they slowly catch up to each other while traveling along the same path, the ecliptic. From our perspective on Earth, they sometimes appear to be aligned, according to NASA. However, the alignment formation will be short-lived since each planet moves at different speeds, depending on its distance from the sun.

How rare are planetary alignments?

Planet alignments are not extremely rare, especially with two to four planets. They occur several times each year. With five or more planets aligning, it's less common. The last planetary alignment seen in the Northern Hemisphere happened on April 8.

Here's a quick look at the planets aligning on June 3.

Astronomical events happening in June

Skywatchers, according to NASA, should keep the following dates in mind for June 2024.

◾ June 3: The crescent Moon sits beneath Mars in morning twilight. Look for them low in the eastern sky.

◾ June 6: New moon.

◾ June 21: Full moon.

◾ June 24: Jupiter is now visible low in the east before sunrise. Look for the bright planet around 10 degrees above the horizon this final week of June, forming a line with Mars and Saturn that stretches toward the south.

◾ June 27: Look for the Moon rising in the east with Saturn around midnight. By dawn this morning, you'll find them high in the southern sky. They appear super close together – close enough to appear in the same field of view through binoculars.

Others are reading:Here's when every full moon shines in 2024

John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.

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Northern lights could appear in US again, but too soon to tell - USA TODAY

BOULDER, COLORADO – Space weather forecasters say there could be another dazzling display of the northern lights over parts of the U.S. next week — although it's too early to know for sure.

Forecasters gave stargazers in northern and upper Midwestern states hope for a show in the sky on Friday night into Saturday morning, but widespread sightings didn't materialize.

Now forecasters have their eye on a cluster of sunspots responsible for the spectacular nationwide May 10 aurora display, which rotated back in view of the Earth. That potentially sets up conditions for another spectacle, the federal Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, said. Very simply put, those sunspots fire up the solar storms that could trigger auroras here on Earth.

But the uncertainty of the outlook — and the overnight disappointment — goes to show that aurora forecasts can be finicky. Top experts say it’s still a bit too early to confirm if next week's display will happen either.

Bigger northern lights show next week? It's too soon to know.

Next week sometime, a widespread aurora event might be possible, forecasters said. It all will depend on whether or not the sun belches out a solar flare and/or coronal mass ejection toward the Earth, which would trigger the geomagnetic storms and thus the aurora.

Shawn Dahl, a senior forecaster for the SWPC, said although the sunspot group known as Region 3697 has now rotated back to face Earth, it's too early to say whether it will send out another coronal mass ejection.

"We're forecasting stuff from 93 million miles away, so it's very difficult. And our science is limited," Dahl said. "We can do a great job of predicting the probability that the flare will happen, and if so, what level if might get to, and the same with radiation storms, but we have no way of knowing that a flare is imminent. That science doesn't exist. And we also don't have the science to know when a CME is going to explode off the sun. We have to wait for them to happen."

Skywatchers have their fingers crossed

Eager skywatchers have their fingers crossed, because June 6 is a new moon, meaning the skies will be extra dark and any aurora that does show up will be extra vibrant. Dahl, an amateur astronomer and night sky photographer who missed the May 10th display because he was working, said he's hopeful for a new display caused by the sunspots.

"We have no way of knowing whether it may produce a CME again, but flare probabilities are still high with this region," he said.

Why it's so hard to predict space weather

When exactly will the northern lights appear again? Conditions are primed for more aurora shows over the next few years, but experts say even the best predictions can only accurately be made a few days or even hours in advance.

Unlike with terrestrial weather, scientists who forecast space weather – which includes the aurora – must rely on observations of the sun, 93 million miles away, to make their predictions.

"There are so many uncertainties, it makes it difficult to predict," Bill Murtagh, the program coordinator at the Space Weather Prediction Center, told USA TODAY last year. 

Hughes reported from Boulder, Colorado; Rice from Silver Spring, Maryland.

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A 'planet parade' happens June 3, but NASA just rained on it. What Hoosiers will, won't see - IndyStar

Hoosiers who wake up early Monday morning might catch a "parade of planets," as some have dubbed it — an alignment of six planets happening in the predawn hours of June 3.

While that's exciting news, avid skywatchers might need to curb their enthusiasm. Most of these planets won't be visible in the U.S., according to NASA, which said the next closest thing to a "planetary parade" isn't happening until much later.

Here's what we know about it and other celestial events in June.

What six planets will align June 3, 2024?

The alignment June 3 will consist of Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn. Experts say most of those planets will be hidden from view, however.

NASA debunks visibility of 'planet parade'

As part of its annual monthly skywatching tips, NASA included a note debunking notions that the parade of planets would be easy to watch.

"Some online sources have shared excitement about a 'parade of planets' visible in the morning sky in early June (June 3 in particular). In reality, only two of the six planets supposedly on display — Saturn and Mars — will actually be visible," according to a statement from NASA, adding that Jupiter and Mercury won't likely be visible because they'll be at or below the horizon in morning twilight.

And without a telescope, Uranus and Neptune are far too faint for the naked eye to see, NASA said, especially as the morning sky brightens.

What planets can I see aligned in Indiana on June 3?

The planetary alignment will be visible across the Northern Hemisphere toward the eastern sky, weather permitting, but have a pair of binoculars with you, suggested Butler University Physics & Astronomy professor Brian Murphy.

"With a clear northeast horizon, and perhaps a pair of binoculars, one should be able to pick out Jupiter and Mercury," Murphy said in a message to IndyStar. "The Moon, Mars and Saturn should be no issue since they appear far from the Sun in the sky. In fact, they can be seen well before sunrise."

Venus, however, and many other planets in alignment, will be nearly impossible to spot because of their proximity to the sun, Murphy said.

What time do the planets align?

The alignment happens June 3, 2024, just before dawn. Murphy said the best time to watch the skies will be 15-30 minutes ahead of sunrise.

'Too outside-y.'Read the most absurd 1-star reviews of Indiana state parks in time for summer

What's the weather forecast for Central Indiana on June 3?

As of Friday, according to the National Weather Service for Central Indiana, Sunday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Monday will have mostly sunny skies with a high near 85, south winds of 3 to 8 mph and a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m.

Do you need a telescope or binoculars to see the planets?

At the very least, experts say you'll need high-powered binoculars to view the majority of the planets — Mercury and Jupiter will be extremely low in the sky. Uranus will be fairly dim and Neptune will appear star-like with binoculars due to its distance from Earth. But Mars and Saturn should be visible to the naked eye.

NASA says another 'planet parade' is happening in late June

The closest thing to another "planet parade," says NASA, will happen June 29, 2024, when Saturn, the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter will line up across the morning sky.

How do planetary alignments happen?

The planets in our solar system orbit the sun continuously. Over time, they slowly catch up to each other while traveling along the same path, the ecliptic. From our perspective on Earth, they sometimes appear to be aligned, according to NASA. However, the alignment formation will be short-lived since each planet moves at different speeds, depending on its distance from the sun.

How rare are planetary alignments?

Planet alignments are not extremely rare, especially with two to four planets. They occur several times each year. With five or more planets aligning, it's less common. The last planetary alignment seen in the Northern Hemisphere happened on April 8.

Here's a quick look at the planets aligning on June 3.

Astronomical events happening in June

Skywatchers, according to NASA, should keep the following dates in mind for June 2024.

◾ June 3: The crescent Moon sits beneath Mars in morning twilight. Look for them low in the eastern sky.

◾ June 6: New moon.

◾ June 21: Full moon.

◾ June 24: Jupiter is now visible low in the east before sunrise. Look for the bright planet around 10 degrees above the horizon this final week of June, forming a line with Mars and Saturn that stretches toward the south.

◾ June 27: Look for the Moon rising in the east with Saturn around midnight. By dawn this morning, you'll find them high in the southern sky. They appear super close together – close enough to appear in the same field of view through binoculars.

Others are reading:Here's when every full moon shines in 2024

John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.

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