Parade of Planets Offers Rare Sight in the Night Sky

(KNSI) – Next week will be the best time to see the planetary parade, where all seven of Earth’s neighbors in the solar system are visible in the night sky at the same time.

Catch Venus in the western sky when looking south just after sunset. Mars and Jupiter can be easily spotted just above the Orion constellation. Uranus will be slightly below Jupiter and much more faint.

St. Cloud State University Assistant Professor Rachel Humphrey explains why Mercury and Saturn are tougher to pick out. “The easiest way to see a planet is when it’s above 10 degrees above the horizon. Saturn and Mercury, they’re getting a little bit closer to the horizon, which means that they’re competing with the sun’s glare a little bit.”

Because of its distance from Earth, Neptune always requires a pair of binoculars or a telescope to view. You don’t have to wait, though. Any night between now and then will have at least six planets hanging from the heavens above.

It is the last chance to see all seven together until October 2028. While seeing three or four planets at once isn’t unusual, Humphrey points out you usually have to get up early or suffer some other difficulty to observe it.

“In late August of this year, we should have four planets visible before sunrise. Right now, what’s really cool, and this makes it convenient, is that the planets are visible after sunset.”

The October 2028 parade is also scheduled to take place in the early morning when many people are not awake.

___