Wyoming Is The Best Place To See Parade Of Planets

This has been quite a year for major astrological events.

One of the biggest Northern Light shows in decades, a comet or two, and a full solar eclipse, all in the first 5 months of 2024.

Now comes The Parade Of Planets, beginning June 3rd.

The best time to see the parade of planets in Wyoming is June 4th.

Imagine looking up into the night sky and seeing all of the planets lined up.

Not all of them are visible to the human eye, but there are apps out there that can help.

Below is a video listing some of the best FREE Apps for star gazing.

With those apps, all you have to do is hold your phone up to the night sky and see where the planets are on the screen.

In the early morning hours of June 3, six planets, including Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune, and Saturn will momentarily align on the ecliptic path.

Wyoming is the perfect place to see this planetary alignment as it occurs across the massive swath of sky in the Northern Hemisphere.

That's because Wyoming has some of the darkest skies in the lower 48 states.

"Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn may be spotted with the naked eye, but you'll need a telescope or high-powered binoculars to see Neptune and Uranus," (Star Walk).

To find the best places to see the planets try using Dark Sky Finder. It's available at that link and is also an app for your mobile device. Dark Sky Finder will help you locate the darkest areas, without human light pollution.

You'll be able to see Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Mercury, and Venus, with the naked eye.

With high-powered binoculars or a telescope, you'll be able to see Urnanus and maybe Neptune.

Given the region we live in, we have a good chance to see them.

Recently I learned about an organization that is working to protect those expansive dark skies. It's the International Dark-Sky Association. See, you only get a grand night sky if there isn't too much light noise around you. The lights from city skylines and highly populated areas can prevent you from seeing every little star in the night sky. You need a dark sky to see it all.

Which is where the International Dark-Sky Association comes in.

They designate land that has "exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment." Their mission is to protect that land and sky for many reasons including research, education, heritage, and even just personal enjoyment. Sound familiar? It's the same concept used for National and State Park designations.

So, does Wyoming have a park like this?

Surprisingly, no. Their map shows no locations in the Cowboy State that have a designation like this. You'll find many in Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and even one in Montana. I find this very odd.

The International Dark-Sky Association also has designated Communities, Reserves, Sanctuaries, and other Developments of Distinction. Each one has its own specifications as to why they've been characterized as such. But again, none in Wyoming. So, if you are looking for a brilliant display in a dark night sky, you should choose one of these places.