Mark your calendars for an upcoming planet parade, as six planets and the moon get ready to align for the second half of August. At the height of this parade, on August 18, 2025, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and the moon will all be strewn across the sky.
A planet parade may sound familiar; that’s because one already occurred earlier this year, when seven planets made a “great planetary alignment” on the evening of February 28, 2025. Even though this month’s planet parade will be missing Mars, it still promises to put on a spectacular show. Know when to watch the parade and follow along as the six planets populate the sky together.
How Rare Are Planet Parades?
Seeing a few planets visible in the sky isn’t necessarily rare. Every year, there are multiple instances of conjunctions, in which two planets appear close together from our point of view on Earth. The most common of these is a conjunction between Venus and Mercury, due to their short orbits, which make them more likely to align with each other.
In some cases, more than two planets enter the picture. When four or five planets align, becoming visible to the naked eye, it becomes a full-fledged planet parade. These events don’t always happen every year, which is why 2025 is so special for having two major parades.
Read More: Seven Planets Will Soon Align, Creating a Planet Parade in the Sky
Starting to Line Up
Planet parades aren’t done in a day, meaning there are more than enough chances to watch one unfold. This month’s parade, for example, is just starting to come into view. Saturn and Neptune appeared in the southern sky in early August, with Uranus joining the parade in the eastern sky.
Venus and Jupiter also showed up in the east, and as the brightest planets in the sky, they’ll be easiest to view throughout the month. The two planets are in a conjunction, and they’ll even “kiss” as they make their closest approach on the morning of August 12, appearing as twin bright spots above the horizon.
Mercury hasn’t fully entered the fray yet since it is mostly obscured by the Sun’s glare right now. However, it will become increasingly visible in the second half of August as it starts to pop up just above the horizon in the eastern sky.
The Best Time to Watch the Planet Parade
The six planets — along with the moon — will finally line up in the sky before sunrise on August 18. Facing east, Mercury will be the lowest in the sky. Above it will be Venus and Jupiter, followed by the waning crescent moon. The three planets and the moon will line up nicely, offering the best photo op for viewers of the parade. Nearby, Uranus will be even higher up in the sky, near the Pleiades star cluster.
Neptune and Saturn will be farther away from the five-object line, showing up in the southern sky. While Saturn can be seen with the naked eye, Uranus and Neptune cannot — the best way to view them during the parade will be through a telescope. Since the parade occurs close to sunrise, though, viewers should take extra care observing the planets on the morning of the 18th.
The parade will continue for most of August, but it won’t be quite as organized. The moon will start to move eastward, breaking up the five-object line (although it will form a triangle with Jupiter and Venus on the morning of the 20th). Mercury will disappear from the lineup at the end of the month, while the other planets will still linger in the sky for the rest of summer.
Those interested in following the parade may want to go to a location where light pollution doesn’t obscure the sky. While there are plenty of chances to experience the event this month , the six planets involved won’t be visible together again until February 2026.
Read More: A Sturgeon Full Moon Rises and Planets Will Cluster in the Sky This Early August 2025
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