The planets are prepping for an epic alignment. Here's how to see it shape up.

The planets are prepping for an epic alignment. Here's how to see it shape up. | Why do dogs and other animals lick their wounds? | 'Magic mushroom' compound creates a hyper-connected brain to treat depression Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( April 12, 2022 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE  [Facebook]( [Twitter](  [LIVESCIENCE]( Amazing science every day [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE](  [] Top Science News [] [The planets are prepping for an epic alignment. Here's how to see it shape up.]( [The planets are prepping for an epic alignment. Here's how to see it shape up.]( (Oliver Taylor via Alamy) Five planets, visible to the naked eye, are poised to line up and march across the sky this summer in an unusual alignment that will be graced by the light of the moon. Alignments of the five planets visible without the aid of telescopes or binoculars occur irregularly only every few years. The last time it happened was in 2020 and, before that, in 2016 and 2005, Michelle Nichols, director of public observing at Chicago's Adler Planetarium, told Live Science. Skywatchers can already see the parade of planets getting into place, but all five will be visible from late June to early July. "We don't always get this opportunity," Nichols said. "Sometimes, it's one or two in the sky; a lot of times, it's none." Full Story: [Live Science]( (4/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [Never Stop Learning]( From big space discoveries to ancient mysteries and future tech, our Knowledge magazines are packed with engaging, authoritative content for all ages. With expert editorial teams across history, science and technology, we have everything you need to feed your curiosity. [Subscribe today!]( ADVERTISEMENT [] Life’s Little Mysteries [] [Why do dogs and other animals lick their wounds?]( [Why do dogs and other animals lick their wounds?]( (JoeChristensen via Getty Images) The saying "to lick one's wounds" is a metaphor that's synonymous with retreating and recovering from an injury, and the behavior is observed in some pets and other animals. Dogs do it; mice do it; even ants do it. All sorts of critters apply their saliva to scratches and scrapes. But why do these animals lick their wounds? Full Story: [Live Science]( (4/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Your Health [] ['Magic mushroom' compound creates a hyper-connected brain to treat depression]( ['Magic mushroom' compound creates a hyper-connected brain to treat depression]( (KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images) Psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in "magic mushrooms," could treat depression by creating a hyper-connected brain. By boosting connectivity between different areas of the brain, the psychedelic may help people with depression break out of rigid, negative patterns of thinking, a new study suggests. Recent clinical trials have suggested that psilocybin may be an effective treatment for depression, when carefully administered under the supervision of mental health professionals. In the new study, published Monday (April 11) in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers probed exactly how the psychedelic works to improve peoples' depressive symptoms. Full Story: [Live Science]( (4/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Large meningitis outbreak among gay, bisexual men in Florida, CDC warns]( [Large meningitis outbreak among gay, bisexual men in Florida, CDC warns]( (Kateryna Kon via Getty Images) A large outbreak of meningococcal disease — a potentially deadly infection — has been reported among gay and bisexual men in Florida, according to health officials, who are urging people in these populations to get vaccinated against the disease. Officials with the Florida Department of Health said on April 7 that the number of cases of meningococcal disease reported in the state this year had surpassed the state's five-year average. The outbreak is primarily affecting gay and bisexual men in Florida, including people with HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some cases have also been reported in people who traveled to Florida. Full Story: [Live Science]( (4/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Featured Content Sponsored Content from Gigabyte [Unleash your full potential with Gigabyte Aero laptops]( With an industry-leading display, 11th Gen Intel chips, and Nvidia RTX 3000 series graphics cards, the Gigabyte AERO 17 HDR laptops have all the power gamers and creative professionals need, and more. [Read more and enter to win a Aero 17 HDR laptop]( [] Astronomy & Astrophysics [] ['Dead sunspot' launches ball of plasma toward Earth]( ['Dead sunspot' launches ball of plasma toward Earth]( (NASA / Handout via Getty Images) The "corpse" of a sunspot exploded Monday (April 11), triggering a mass ejection of solar material that is headed in Earth's direction. The explosion comes courtesy of a dead sunspot called AR2987, according to SpaceWeather.com. The sunspot explosion released loads of energy in the form of radiation, which also led to a coronal mass ejection (CME) — explosive balls of solar material — both of which could spur more intense northern lights in Earth's upper atmosphere. The material in that CME is likely to impact Earth on April 14, according to SpaceWeather. Full Story: [Live Science]( (4/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] ['Baby Jupiter' discovered in the process of forming around a star 500 light-years away]( ['Baby Jupiter' discovered in the process of forming around a star 500 light-years away]( (NASA, ESA, STScI, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)) EXPERT VOICES OP-ED: How do planets form? For many years scientists thought they understood this process by studying the one example we had access to: our own solar system. However, the discovery of planets around distant stars in the 1990s made it clear that the picture was much more complicated than we knew. In new research, we have spotted a hot, Jupiter-like gas giant in the process of forming around a star about 500 light-years from Earth. Full Story: [Live Science]( (4/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Poll Question [] POLL QUESTION: Do you plan to look out for the planetary alignment taking place this summer? (Learn when you can see the alignment [here]() [Vote]( [Yes!]( [Vote]( [No]( [Vote]( [Yes, if I remember to get up that early](   [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( | [Cookies Policy]( | [Terms and Conditions]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:livescience@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE]( Future US LLC © 1100 13th St. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005