Brazil witnesses rare planetary alignment of Moon with Venus, Jupiter and Mercury
On the night of 17 June 2026 a rare planetary alignment was visible across Brazil. The thin crescent Moon appeared next to the bright planets Venus, Jupiter and Mercury, creating a striking visual that could be seen without any equipment. Astronomer Josina Nascimento of the Observatório Nacional described the event as "more rare" because the planets seemed unusually close to each other and to the Moon.
The alignment was observable after sunset in any region with a clear, unobstructed western horizon. It repeated on 18 June and again on 19 June, with the Moon moving higher each night. In several locations, such as Sorocaba, Araras, Pará and the western part of Paraná, observers reported the occasional occultation of Venus by the Moon, a phenomenon likened to a tiny eclipse.
The Observatório Nacional announced a live‑stream on 20 June (project “O céu em sua casa: observação remota”) to show professional recordings from observers nationwide. While similar conjunctions occur roughly every 13–15 months, this particular configuration of three naked‑eye planets together with the Moon was considered especially uncommon and attracted wide public interest.