A “parade” of six planets, four of which will be visible without a telescope, will be visible this August. (Image credit: Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Six planets — Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — will appear together in the dark night sky for nearly a week, beginning Sunday, August 17. This rare “planetary parade,” sometimes mistakenly called a planetary alignment, will last until Wednesday, August 20.
The celestial cluster, last seen in February, will be visible on the eastern horizon about an hour before sunrise. While most of these planets have been visible in the morning sky for weeks, Mercury will join them, increasing the number of planets from five to six.
On a clear day, you'll be able to spot Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. Mercury will be closer to the horizon, but still bright enough to be seen by most viewers. However, Uranus (located between Jupiter and Saturn in the sky) and Neptune (located next to Saturn) are too dim and distant to be seen with the naked eye. The only way to spot these ice giants is with a good telescope.
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