Six planets parade to watch this weekend after rare black moon

Stargazers are excited as a rare planet parade is expected to happen this weekend bringing some of the main characters of our solar system together in a dazzling line-up that won’t happen again until October 2028.

Astronomers are thrilled to watch this unusual happening as they won’t get a chance to explore this rare event till next three years.

A planet – parade also labeled as “Planetary alignment” by NASA, will most probably happen this weekend.

According to NASA, this stellar line-up will feature six planets including Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

While orbiting the sun the planets in our solar system have occasional meet cues. These planetary alignments are referred to as “oppositions” and “conjunctions”.

Moreover, other alignments occur when planets like, the moon or starts appear to line up in the sky from Earth’s perspective, as per NASA.

Embellishing the night sky since this past weekend, sky watchers are presented with one final opportunity this Saturday, August 23, 2025 to marvel at the planet parade.

Which planets will be visible during the planet parade?

In the weekend’s cosmos show Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are ready for the breath taking celestial event.

Of those, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will be visible to the naked eye, while the others will require high-powered binoculars or, preferably, a telescope.

Even though they’re spread out across the eastern and southern skies, the planets pair up with this one, making many of them pretty easy to find if you know what to look for. From east to west, here’s where each one will be.

Mercury – Eastern sky near the Cancer constellation. It’ll pop over the horizon just before sunrise, so you’ll have limited time to view it before the sun comes up and obfuscates it.

Venus – At the lower tip of the Gemini constellation in the eastern sky, a couple of hours before sunrise.

Jupiter – Will be near Venus, also in the Gemini constellation. It rises about an hour before Venus does.

Uranus – Will be near the upper tip of Taurus, rising after midnight. This one will require some magnification. If you see Pleiades, a cluster of stars at the upper tip of Taurus, you’ve gone too far upward.

Saturn and Neptune – These two are right next to each other and will be sitting between the Pisces and Cetus constellations in the southern skies. Neptune will be closer to Pisces while Saturn will be closer to Cetus.

The finale is especially dazzling, but not as easy to see! A thin crescent moon will sit alongside Mercury, while a stunning cluster of stars glimmers between the two.

When will the planets be visible?

Early stargazers will be treated to a sweet sight on weekend most likely on Saturday, August 23, 2025, or Sunday night as a sleek wanning crescent moon will glow right above mercury in the low eastern sky, about an hour before sunrise.

Still, the magic doesn’t end there! As the planet parade steals the show, a seasonal “black moon”, when there’s a rare third new moon in a season of four — will clear the night sky, gracing stargazers in the northern hemisphere with one of the best views of the Milky Way.

How to watch the planet parade?

Hoping to catch a glimpse of the planet parade? You’ll need a pair of binoculars and telescope for a clear view of the eastern horizon.

According to Andrew Fazekas astronomy columnist radio, the planet will resemble bright points of lights.

“To the naked eye, you’re not going to see anything spectacular,” he said, advising that it’s a “wonderful observing challenge,” attempting to spot so many planets at once.

If you’re looking to capture all the planets at once, Fazekas notes that there will be “a very short window of time” to do so.

When is the next planet parade?

According to NASA, the next planet parade won’t occur till next three years and is expected again in October 2028.