Overview

• The six-planet alignment remains visible from Aug. 17 through about Aug. 21 in the eastern pre-dawn sky.
• Mercury reaches its highest morning elevation around Aug. 19 before plunging into the Sun’s glare by Aug. 21.
• A slender crescent moon will pass very close to Venus on Aug. 20, marking the parade’s visual highlight.
• Four planets—Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn—are visible to the naked eye while Uranus and Neptune demand binoculars or a small telescope under clear skies.
• Observers should scan the eastern horizon roughly 45 minutes to two hours before sunrise from a dark, unobstructed vantage point.