Maybe you’ve already seen Jupiter and Mars in the morning sky? They’re just now coming off their conjunction in mid-August, when these two bright worlds swept close together before dawn. You might have spotted Saturn, too, farther to the west. The ringed planet is nearly at its brightest now, heading for opposition – when Earth will pass between Saturn and the sun – on September 8. Then, in late August, Mercury creeps away from the sun. So you might catch a glimpse of it before sunrise, too. With dim Uranus and Neptune between Jupiter and Saturn, that makes six planets in the morning sky. Can you challenge yourself to spot them all?
Here’s how to see the 6 planets
At the end of August, Jupiter and Mars are in Taurus, coming off their big conjunction on the 14th. Mars is headed out of Taurus toward Gemini, which it will cross into during early September. On August 27, a waning gibbous moon was near Jupiter. By the next morning, the thinning moon had jumped ahead of Mars.
Then, by September 1, the super-slender, old waning crescent moon will help you find Mercury. On that date, the closest planet to the sun will appear beside the moon in Leo the Lion.
From then on, the moon will be out of the scene. On September 9, Mercury will be less than a degree from Regulus, the brightest star in Leo.
Saturn is easy to spot. The ringed planet is in the constellation Aquarius in the western sky. The next two are a bit of a challenge.
Watch a 1-minute preview video of the 6 planets in the morning sky.
Uranus and Neptune
Neptune is somewhat close to Saturn. While the sky is still dark, look for the Circlet of Pisces standing above Saturn near the western horizon. Neptune is next to the Circlet. You’ll want optical aid – binoculars or a telescope – and a star chart. For a precise view from your location to aid in hunting down Neptune, try Stellarium.
Uranus is a bit brighter than Neptune, but still a test of your observing skills. Did you spot it next to Mars back on July 15? Then you know what you’re looking for! If not, it might appear as a bluish-green disk when you finally find it with optical aid. Uranus is currently in Taurus. It’s a bit more than five degrees, or three fingers held at arm’s length, from the Pleiades star cluster. You’ll also want to use Stellarium to help track it down.
Late August chart
Bottom line: Do you want to see 6 planets at once? Wake up before sunrise and start hunting! Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be easy. The moon might help you find Mercury. Uranus and Neptune will test your observing powers. Challenge yourself: you can do it!
Kelly Kizer Whitt
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About the Author:
Kelly Kizer Whitt has been a science writer specializing in astronomy for more than two decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine, and she has made regular contributions to AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club, among other outlets. Her children’s picture book, Solar System Forecast, was published in 2012. She has also written a young adult dystopian novel titled A Different Sky. When she is not reading or writing about astronomy and staring up at the stars, she enjoys traveling to the national parks, creating crossword puzzles, running, tennis, and paddleboarding. Kelly lives in Wisconsin.
John Jardine Goss
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About the Author:
“I can sometimes see the moon in the daytime” was a cosmic revelation that John Jardine Goss first discovered through personal observations at age 6. It shook his young concept of the universe and launched his interest in astronomy and stargazing, a fascination he still holds today. John is past president of the Astronomical League, the largest U.S. federation of astronomical societies, with over 20,000 members. He's earned the title of Master Observer and has authored the celestial observing guides Exploring the Starry Realm and Carpe Lunam. John also writes a monthly stargazing column, Roanoke Skies, for the Roanoke Times, and a bimonthly column, Skywatch, for Blue Ridge Country magazine. He has contributed to Sky and Telescope magazine, the IDA Nightscape, the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine, and the RASC Observer’s Handbook.
The next planetary alignment is set to take place on Wednesday 28 August 2024. Six planets – Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn – will align in the sky.
According to Fazekas, people will need to do the following to get a view of the planetary parade: Get up early before sunrise. Find a spot with a clear view that faces the east about an hour before sunrise. Have your binoculars or telescope ready to view planets that aren't visible to the naked eye.
Jupiter spends the month in the constellation Taurus the Bull. It's shining at -2.0 magnitude. The waning crescent moon will hang near Jupiter on August 27. Jupiter will rise about two hours before the sun on August 1 and will rise over four hours before sunrise by month's end.
If you consider the eight planets aligned if they are in the same 180-degree-wide patch of sky, the next time that will happen is May 6, 2492, according to Christopher Baird, an associate professor of physics at West Texas A&M University.
There's no meaningful impact on Earth when the planets are aligned at all — though NASA has used planetary alignment to its advantage when launching missions to explore multiple planets and solar system objects, such as the Voyager 2 "Grand Tour" which began in 1977.
To catch this rare event, look towards the eastern horizon about 20 minutes before sunrise. The alignment will stretch from the low eastern horizon, with Jupiter closest to the horizon, up through Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune, and Saturn.
At the next full alignment on February 28, 2025, the seven planets – Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars – will be observable in the sky simultaneously.
Before dawn on June 29, Saturn, the moon, Mars and Jupiter will be aligned in the sky. Sources like USA Today and SkySafari Pro share that Uranus and Neptune will also be visible during the event.
Planetary alignment involves the illusion of planets appearing in a straight line. This event, more of an illusion than reality, will feature Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. All six planets will align on June 3 in a rare celestial event.
During early dusk, Mercury can be spotted in the southwest after the 12th, but only if you are experienced in finding it. On the 21st, Spica is only 1 degree from Mercury, seen in binoculars.
11 and Aug. 12. At its peak, you can expect to see 60 to 100 meteors in an hour from a dark place, making the Perseid shower "widely sought after by astronomers and stargazers," TimeandDate said.
August 14 – Jupiter and Mars have an extremely close pair-up called a conjunction this morning. They'll appear just a third of a degree apart, which is less than the width of the full Moon. Find them in the eastern sky in the couple of hours before sunrise. August 20 – The Moon chases Saturn across the sky tonight.
When was the last time all the planets aligned? The last time all planets aligned was on April 8, 2024. The planetary alignment was visible during the total solar eclipse in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
The planetary alignment will be visible almost everywhere in the U.S. on June 29, according to NASA, but the ideal time for tuning in may vary depending on your specific location. High mountains and tall buildings in your area could also hide the planets from view, according to Starwalk. space.
So, a planetary alignment happens when all of the planets in the solar system are in roughly the same part of the sky, relative to the Earth. When this happens, you can see all of these planets at the same time.
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