An imminent “blood moon” total lunar eclipse and a rare display of the Northern Lights in the U.S. might be grabbing the astronomical headlines this weekend, but skywatchers shouldn’t overlook the “planet parade” going on in the pre-dawn sky.
This “planet parade” will be visible two hours before sunrise for the next several weeks. It’s the last “planet parade” until October 2028, when five planets will be visible together before sunrise.
The current “planet parade” comprises five planets — Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus. Mercury joined the fray in August, but has since disappeared into the sun’s glare. Only Venus, Jupiter and Saturn are visible to the naked eye.
Venus and Jupiter will be the easiest to find. About two hours before sunrise, Venus will be visible in the east and Jupiter in the southeast, with Saturn and the almost full moon low in the southwest.
Close to Jupiter will be Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini. Also visible alongside the “planet parade” will be the constellation Orion, most easily identified via its three belt stars (Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka), which point down to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky and just 8.6 light-years from the sun.
Although there are five planets in the sky during this “planet parade,” not all are visible to the naked eye. Eighth Neptune (in the constellation Pisces, close to Saturn in Aquarius) and seventh planet Uranus (not close to any other planets, in the constellation Taurus) are right on the cusp of human eyesight and are almost impossible to see unless under exceptional sky conditions. However, Neptune comes to its annual opposition on Sept. 23, 2025, as Earth passes between it and the sun. That will make it the closest and brightest for the year, when it will be easiest to see using binoculars or a telescope. Uranus reaches its opposition on Nov. 21, 2025.
There’s an alert out from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for a rare display of the Northern Lights in 15 U.S. states after dark on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. It could extend into the weekend. However, the highlight will be the rising of the full corn moon on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. The best time to watch it rise in North America will be at the time of local moonrise at dusk. A “blood moon” total lunar eclipse will have just been visible for 86 minutes on the other side of the world, similar to one seen in North America last March. By the time the moon rises in North America, it will appear as an ordinary full moon. On Sept. 22, 2025, a partial solar eclipse will be seen from Antarctica, New Zealand and the western South Pacific.