"The five bright planets that will be lined up in a diagonal line, from left to right, are Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter. Therefore it's essential to find a clear horizon - and a sky free as possible from any light pollution - to catch all five planets at once.
"Essentially, a quirk of the universe", Dr. Alan Duffy, a research fellow at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, told Australian Geographic about the formation.
It's the first time in more than a decade that the stellar positioning will be visible with the naked eye from Earth.
Mercury will be low in the east-southeastern morning sky, at around eight degrees to the lower left of Venus. The planet will then become clearer as it rises on the horizon during February.
The best view of the alignment will be available from 5.30am to 5.40am (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) starting January 20, and should follow a straight line from Mercury on the horizon to brightly shining Jupiter up top.
'At this juncture, Mercury rises about 80 minutes before the sun at mid-northern latitudes. In the Southern Hemisphere, it's about two hours before sunrise.
Venus will likely be the easiest to spot as it is the brightest object in the sky behind the moon and the sun. The next five-planet showing will happen in August.
The stars Antares and Spica will also twinkle in the same part of the sky. Only distant Uranus, Neptune and Pluto won't be in on the show."
http://investmentunderground.com/2016/01/mercury-venus-mars-jupiter-saturn-to-align-in-night-sky/This report comes from Australia (obviously) but the timing is approximate to the northern hemisphere, too. Check local listings.
