Moon, 3 planets to align in weekend sky

A planetary parade will greet early risers in the night sky this weekend, an easy-to-see alignment that will be visible without a telescope.

The last weekend of June will feature the best astronomy event of the month as three planets fall in line with the crescent moon.

Jupiter, Mars and Saturn will appear in a row about an hour before daybreak Saturday morning in the eastern sky. No telescope is needed to see the planets, although stargazers will have to wake up early to see the event, as late June has some of the earliest sunrises of the entire year.

The crescent moon will also align with the planetary trio, glowing between Mars and Saturn.

An encore is in the offing for Sunday morning, giving folks another opportunity to see the celestial alignment if cloudy weather prevails Saturday.

The International Space Station will also make bright passes over the United States before sunrise on Saturday and Sunday, so those waking up to see the planets and moon may want to check to see when the station will be visible from their area.