See 6 Planets Align in the Night Sky This August

This rare planetary alignment will be visible from August 10, but will be best viewed later in the month. Here's everything you need to know to see it at its best.

On August 10, six planets—Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—will line up in an arc in the night sky. Four of these planets—Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn—can be seen with the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune will be visible through a very strong pair of skywatching binoculars or a backyard telescope.

While August 10 marks the beginning of this planetary parade, these six planets will be visible until the final days of August, when Mercury sinks lower on the horizon and meanders too close to the sun to be observed safely. The next time that all of these planets will be visible together won’t be until February 2026 ...