Look Up: A Rare Moon and Planetary Alignment Will Occur During the Summer Solstice Tomorrow

It's hard to believe, but the first official day of summer, also known as summer solstice, is tomorrow, June 21. This year's solstice will be more special than usual, since it will happen in conjunction with a rare planetary phenomenon. Three celestial bodies will align in the night sky starting tonight, reaching peak visibility tomorrow on the evening of the solstice.

Summer solstice is an annual event that occurs when the sun reaches its northernmost position, resulting in the longest day of the year north of the equator, TimeandDate.com reports. During the evening of this year's summer solstice, Venus, Mars, and a slim crescent moon will align. According to LiveScience.com, the moon and planets won't appear this close together again until 2028.

The alignment will be visible tonight, June 20. Stargazers can expect to see a crescent moon form a line in the sky; you'll see a bright Venus and dim Mars. The moon will be about 8 percent illuminated and will display a Da Vinci glow, which is when a ghostly glow illuminates the dark side of the moon.

For the best view of this rare solstice alignment, look up into the night sky on Wednesday, June 21. Mars and Venus will appear alongside a 13 percent illuminated crescent moon. Mars may be hard to spot without binoculars, but the moon and Venus are expected to be visible to the naked eye.

If you miss the first two days of the rare phenomenon, don't worry: There is one more chance to spot the alignment on Thursday, June 22. The crescent moon will be 21 percent illuminated and will appear again alongside Mars and Venus. This time the moon will be slightly higher in the sky than the two planets.