A “planet parade” has been gracing the sky for much of August this year, but after Friday, Aug. 29, it’s set to be diminished. Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be the easiest to spot, with Mercury hugging the horizon just before sunrise and likely impossible to see. More distant Uranus and Neptune are also in place, though they require binoculars or a telescope. However, this six-planet parade is short-lived. By next week, Mercury will have sunk back into the sun’s glare, leaving a five-planet show through October.
Best seen at least an hour before sunrise, the brightest planets will be Venus and Jupiter in the eastern sky. They will be about 17 degrees apart, according to When The Curves Line Up.
Saturn shines in the southwest, but fainter than Venus and Jupiter. The moon is not in the sky during the parade this week.
Mercury, the smallest and hardest to find of the group, will appear just above the horizon about 45 minutes before sunrise. Find an unobstructed view toward the east for the best chance of spotting it — but prepare to be disappointed as the horizon haze dims its light. Seeing the outer ice giants Uranus and Neptune requires binoculars or a telescope. They’re at their best two hours before sunrise.
Planet-rise and planet-set times for an exact location vary, so use an online planetarium that displays that data. The following planet parade will occur in October 2028, when five planets will be visible together, again before sunrise.
While you’re searching for the planets, have a go at finding Orion, one of the most iconic constellations in the night sky. The simplest way is to identify the three bright stars in Orion’s Belt — Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka — which will be ranged vertically above east-southeast, to the upper-right of Jupiter. Directly below the belt stars will be Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Close to Jupiter and Venus will be Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini.
Come September, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus will dominate the pre-dawn sky without Mercury. However, the month’s headline act is Sept. 7’s total lunar eclipse, which will see the lunar surface turn a coppery reddish color for 86 minutes — though only as seen from Asia, Africa and western Australia. On Sept. 19, a thin crescent moon, a bright Venus and Leo’s bright star Regulus will gather together in a tight conjunction low in the west after sunset. On Sept. 21, Saturn will reach its annual opposition — the brightest and best it gets for the year — though you’ll need a small telescope to see it rings. The final highlight for September is a deep partial solar eclipse on Sept. 22, though that’s only visible from the Pacific.