Planets 'could be traded like real estate in future' says expert

       Five planets will line up in a rare occurrence at dawn tomorrow (Saturday June 17), with some visible to the naked eye.

       Early risers with a good view of the horizon will get the best chance of spotting the alignment of Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn, which is also known as a planetary parade.

       While Jupiter and Saturn will be easy to spot, Neptune and Uranus will probably require binoculars and Mercury will be visible for only a short space of time.

       READ MORE: NASA releases beautiful new 'postcard' from the surface of Mars

       Five of the planets in the solar system will align at dawn tomorrow (Image: File image/Getty Images)

       Don Pollacco, a professor at the University of Warwick’s Department of Physics, said: “While Jupiter and Saturn will be easy to spot by eye, Mercury will be more challenging as its proximity to the sun means that it is only just above the horizon and visible about an hour before sunrise.

       “Neptune and Uranus need binoculars to be sure of seeing them – although some keen-sighted people can see Uranus unaided.

       “Jupiter and Saturn will be bright objects that have a yellowy colour, Mercury often looks pink, and Uranus and Neptune pale white-green.”

       Alignments occur when the planets in the solar system are all roughly positioned in the same direction when viewed from Earth.

       Saturn will be the first to rise, followed by Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus and Mercury.

       Prof Pollacco said: “Given that we understand the orbits of the planets, we can predict when these ‘alignments’ will occur.

       The alignment will occur at dawn on Saturday (June 17) (Image: File image/Getty Images)

       “While the planets may look relatively close together in the sky they are of course separated by many millions of miles.”

       The next five-planet alignment will take place on April 20 2024, which will be a morning parade with Venus, Mercury, Neptune, Mars, and Saturn.

       There are several ways observers can get the best view of the planetary alignment. One is to keep away from any bright lights as the Sun sets and to go somewhere with a clear, unobstructed view.

       Speaking to Express.co.uk, astronomy expert Joe Rau said avoiding an unobstructed view, with no trees or buildings, was key.

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