Overview

• Observers on August 11 can spot Saturn low in the southern pre-dawn sky with Jupiter and Venus shining in the east an hour before sunrise.
• Mercury will slide into view about 45–60 minutes before sunrise on August 12, completing the six-planet lineup along the ecliptic.
• Venus and Jupiter will reach their closest approach of 0.9° separation just before dawn on August 12, offering a striking binocular or telescope view.
• Uranus and Neptune join the parade geometrically but remain invisible without optical aid, while binoculars or a small telescope enhance views of the bright planets.
• The six-planet spectacle endures through late August with lunar interactions near Mercury and Venus before fading, and the next multi-planet alignment won’t occur until October 2028.