Six planets — Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — will seem in a darkish evening sky collectively for nearly every week, starting Sunday, Aug. 17. The pretty uncommon “planetary parade,” which is usually mistakenly referred to as a planetary alignment, will proceed by way of Wednesday, Aug. 20.
The celestial gathering, final seen in February, will seem within the japanese sky about an hour earlier than dawn. Although most of those planets have been seen within the morning sky for weeks, Mercury will be a part of the fray, bringing the planet rely from 5 to 6.
Under clear skies, you need to be capable 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.