Six planets — Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — will appear in a dark night sky together for almost a week, beginning Sunday, Aug. 17. The fairly rare “planetary parade,” which is sometimes mistakenly called a planetary alignment, will continue through Wednesday, Aug. 20.
The celestial gathering, last seen in February, will appear in the eastern sky about an hour before sunrise. Although most of these planets have been visible in the morning sky for weeks, Mercury will join the fray, bringing the planet count from five to six.
Under clear skies, you should be able to spot Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Mercury will be closer to the horizon but still bright enough to be seen by most observers. However, Uranus (appearing between Jupiter and Saturn in the sky) and Neptune (close to Saturn in the sky) are too dim and distant to be seen with the naked eye. The only way to see these two ice giants is by using a good telescope.
Although it’s relatively rare for six planets to appear in the sky simultaneously, the beauty of the view will be vastly increased by the waning crescent moon.
Related: How to photograph the moon: Tips on camera gear, settings and composition
On Aug. 17 and Aug. 18, a crescent moon will rise above Jupiter and Venus. The two brightest planets in the night sky are now slowly moving apart after an incredibly close conjunction on Aug. 12.
Mercury may be visible below Jupiter and Venus, but it will be easier to see it on Aug. 19. On that morning, and on Aug. 20, a slim crescent moon will be very close to Jupiter and Venus — a visual highlight of the “planetary parade.”
By around Aug. 21, Mercury will begin to fall back into the sun’s glare and will become more difficult to see.
According to the Star Walk app, there will be two six-planet parades in 2026: one after sunset in February and another before sunrise in August.
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