Andifferent planet parade is coming. Six planets and the Moon are seen within the sky this August

You could have heard phrase there’s one other planet parade in August 2025, evoking recollections of the fantastic alignment of the planets we noticed in January and February 2025.

In August 2025, six planets and the Moon can be seen within the sky – Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Some are even calling this the planet parade ‘August version’, in reference to only how spectacular the planets have been within the first two months of 2025.

But the catch with this August planet parade is that six planets will certainly be above the horizon within the Northern Hemisphere without delay, however simply earlier than dawn.

That means if you wish to see them, an early begin can be wanted, and you will must be trying earlier than the Sun rises above the horizon.

Also, our good buddy Mars rises and units with the Sun in August, so it would not be part of the planet parade this time.

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Let’s check out what’s taking place with these six planets all through August 2025, and what we’ll actually see.

First, a phrase of warning. If you are making an attempt to look at among the dimmer, trickier morning planets in August 2025, you could be tempted to achieve for binoculars or a telescope.

If you do, keep in mind that observing the Sun instantly with the bare eye, binoculars or an unfiltered telescope can severely harm your eyesight.

That means excessive care needs to be taken when observing the morning sky this near dawn, and you must cease observing earlier than the Sun is seen above the horizon.

Early August

The additional south you’re within the Northern Hemisphere, the better you can see the planets rise above the horizon earlier than daybreak.

And all through your morning planet-observing adventures in August 2025, a transparent horizon can be key.

The planets will poke above the horizon simply earlier than dawn, which means you may have a a lot better likelihood of seeing them if you will get away from gentle air pollution.

Find someplace the sky is of course darkish, the horizon flat and away from bushes and tall buildings.

In early August, the 2 planets you are most definitely to identify earlier than dawn are Jupiter and Venus.

They can be seen above the jap horizon earlier than dawn, which can seemingly be between 04:00 or 05:00 native time, relying in your actual location.

If you are observing from among the extra southerly states within the USA, for instance, you may get a greater view, as a result of they’re going to climb increased whereas the sky remains to be darkish.

But in the event you’re observing from the UK, you could have to look earlier to catch the planets earlier than the Sun rises.

stargazing app gives you actual timings and places for the planets the place you’re.

Keep watching Jupiter and Venus every morning and you will discover Jupiter start to meet up with Venus, the 2 planets getting nearer and nearer collectively within the sky.

Venus and Jupiter can be closest collectively on the morning of 12 August, showing like an attractive double star within the east earlier than dawn.

At the start of August, Uranus can be above the horizon within the morning sky, however can be difficult to see except you catch it within the very early hours earlier than daybreak.

You can discover it within the east, excessive up and someplace between the Hyades star cluster and the Pleiades star cluster.

Saturn and Neptune are very shut collectively within the south – Neptune above Saturn – and each are to the left of the Circlet star sample within the constellation Pisces.

Neptune could be very faint and would require a telescope if you are going to see it this month.

Mercury isn’t seen but, having reached inferior conjunction on 1 August 2025.

That’s an astronomical means of describing when Mercury is between Earth and the Sun, and so is misplaced within the Sun’s glare, from our perspective.

In reality, Mercury solely actually turns into seen within the morning sky from round 18/19 August, when it emerges from the Sun’s glare and could be seen simply earlier than dawn.

Mid August

Around 10 August, you may seemingly have observed that Jupiter and Venus seem nearer collectively than they did at the start of August.

And you may hopefully have observed they’re seen just a little bit longer earlier than dawn.

By now, autumn is on the way in which, and the mornings are beginning to get a darker than they have been on the peak of summer season, which is sweet information for morning stargazers.

By 11 August, Jupiter and Venus are even nearer collectively within the morning sky within the east, and by 12 August they’re going to be at their closest.

A detailed assembly of two objects within the sky like this is called a ‘conjunction’, and fairly an attractive factor to behold.

By 13/14 August, Jupiter may have ‘overtaken’ Venus within the sky, and is now east of the planet.

By mid August, the remainder of the planets on this ‘planet parade’ may have improved, and can proceed to enhance because the month goes on and the mornings get even darker.

Saturn reaches a excessive altitude below darkness from mid August onwards, and Neptune remains to be there, seen above the ringed planet.

By mid August, each Saturn and Neptune are excessive within the south earlier than dawn.

Conditions are additionally bettering for Uranus, with the skies getting darker and darker every morning.

Uranus is drifting ever barely eastwards every morning, taking it under the Pleiades star cluster with every passing day. You can see this in our star chart additional down the web page.

Indeed, the Pleiades is an efficient marker for locating Uranus within the morning sky in August, and each are seen within the east-southeast earlier than dawn.

Binoculars can be good for observing Saturn near Neptune, and for exploring Uranus beneath the Pleiades.

But as we said above, excessive warning needs to be exercised in the event you’re utilizing binoculars or a telescope to have a look at the sky this near dawn.

Late August

Mercury enters the image round 18/19 August, having handed by the Sun – from our perspective on Earth – and at last rising into the morning sky.

By this time, the Moon too is now firmly a morning object, monitoring eastwards every day and constructing as much as the principle occasion.

On the morning of 18 August 2025, you may get an opportunity to see one thing fairly spectacular, and that is a ‘planet parade’, a line of Solar System worlds stretching above the horizon.

Going from the horizon upwards, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and the Moon are all positioned in an nearly straight line.

You can see them earlier than dawn within the jap sky, and once more, utilizing a stargazing app will show you how to work out precisely the place and when to look to see it.

At the identical time that Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and the Moon are all in line, Uranus extends that line even increased up within the sky, seen between the Pleiades and the Hyades star clusters.

And, over within the southwest, Saturn and Neptune are sitting shut collectively.

That makes 18 August fairly a particular morning, as these 5 Solar System worlds (together with the Moon) are in a line within the east, with Saturn and Neptune shut collectively within the south, making a complete of seven Solar System our bodies all above the horizon.

This can be difficult to see, given the oncoming dawn and the truth that Mercury will not rise very excessive earlier than the Sun.

If you need the perfect likelihood of seeing them, get observing early, get away from gentle air pollution and be sure to have a transparent horizon.

By the morning of 19 August, these planets will nonetheless be in the identical place within the sky, however the Moon has now tracked barely eastwards, making the line-up fairly askew!

On the morning of 20 August, the Moon now kinds a neat triangle with Jupiter and Venus.

And there’s one other good line-up to look out for on 21 August, the very skinny crescent Moon simply above Mercury within the morning sky.

Both Mercury and the crescent Moon can be difficult to see as daybreak approaches, however they’re there, in the event you can handle to identify them!

From this level onwards, issues enhance because the sky will get darker, the planetd get brighter and we’re in a position to catch them a lot earlier earlier than dawn.

February planet parade vs August planet parade

Will the August planet parade be pretty much as good because the February 2025 planet parade?

The brief reply is ‘not fairly’, and for a number of causes!

• Mars is notably absent from the planet parade in August
• This parade is within the summer season; the skies do not get as darkish as they do in winter
• We’ll be preventing the onset of daybreak twilight
• An early rise is required, so it is much less handy for informal stargazers

But with some good planning and timing, you could possibly be in for an actual deal with.

Why planet parades occur

Planet parades occur when a number of Solar System planets seem shut collectively within the sky from our viewpoint on Earth.

This occurs as a result of all of the planets – together with Earth – orbit the Sun in roughly the identical flat aircraft of our Solar System.

And since we’re viewing the Solar System from inside it, all of the planets journey alongside the identical obvious path in our sky because the Sun, referred to as the ecliptic.

This is why the planets generally seem grouped collectively within the sky in twos, threes or extra, generally even in a small a part of the sky.

Some name this a ‘planet parade’ or ‘planet alignment’.

Planets being shut collectively within the sky is a standard prevalence, nevertheless it’s much less frequent to see 4 or extra collectively in a line without delay.

And in fact, the planets aren’t really shut collectively in house: they only seem shut collectively within the sky from our perspective.

If you do handle to identify or {photograph} the August 2025 planet parade, we might love to listen to your recollections and see your photographs. Send them to us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com