Planet parade in August 2026
A large six-planet parade, which involves Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune, will be visible shortly before sunrise in mid-August 2026.
Four of those planets—Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn—will be visible to the naked eye. To see Uranus and Neptune, you will need a pair of binoculars or a telescope.
Where to find: In mid-August, about 45 minutes before sunrise, Jupiter and Mercury will shine near the eastern horizon, Mars and Uranus will appear in the eastern sky, and Saturn and Neptune will be in the southern sky.
On August 15, Jupiter and Mercury will appear side by side. Before August 15, Jupiter will appear below Mercury, and after August 15, Jupiter will appear above Mercury.
Finder charts:
How long it lasts: The six planets will become visible at the same time once Jupiter emerges from the sunrise glare sometime in early to mid-August. They will remain visible until around mid to late August, when Mercury fades into the sunrise glare. The planet parade will be most visible between August 12 and 18, 2026.
View from the Southern Hemisphere: Jupiter and Mercury will be difficult to observe from the Southern Hemisphere as the ecliptic—the path of the sun, moon, and planets—makes a narrow angle with the horizon. Only four of the six planets—Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune—will be visible from there.
What is a planet parade?
The planets of our solar system always appear along a line in the sky. This line, referred to as the ecliptic, represents the orbital plane of planets around the sun.
A planet parade occurs when multiple planets are visible along the ecliptic in our night sky at the same time.
While small parades, which involve three to five planets, are visible almost throughout the year, a large parade, which involves six to seven planets, is a rare event.
A planet parade is not a true alignment
A planet parade is not a true alignment in space, but rather an apparent lineup of planets in our night sky.
Why are planet parades visible either before sunrise or after sunset?
Large planet parades typically involve the two innermost planets—Mercury and Venus—along with the outer planets.
The outer planets—Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—can be visible all night when they reach opposition (when they appear opposite the sun in our sky).
However, Mercury appears very close to the sun most of the year. It can reach up to about 28° from the sun during its greatest elongation. Around that time, it is visible only for a couple of weeks (or even a few days), either just before sunrise or just after sunset.
Venus can reach up to about 47° from the sun during its greatest elongation. Around that time, it is visible only for a few months, either in the early morning or in the early evening.
Since Mercury and Venus are visible either before sunrise or after sunset, large planet parades are visible only at those times.
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