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Planetary parade: When to see the rare event in the UK skies

Planetary parade: When to see the rare event in the UK skies

A planetary parade will take place later this month as six planets will be visible in the night sky.
Stargazers have already been treated to one rare planetary parade this year, when Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune could all be seen in the sky at once in January.
Then, in February, Mercury joined the party to form a "grand planet parade" where all seven planets were pictured above the horizon at the same time.
But if you missed any of these, there's another planet parade is on its way.
August's planetary parade
Later this month, six planets and the moon will line up in the night sky.
Four of them – Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn – will be visible to the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune can be spotted through binoculars or a small telescope.
When to see the planetary parade in August
The planet parade will take place on the morning of August 18.
The alignment will be visible for about 45 minutes before sunrise at around 6am, according to The Farmers' Almanac.
The Perseid meteor shower is also set to peak around this time, which could mean that stargazers spot 'shooting stars' too.
Where to spot each planet in the night sky
Mercury will be the lowest planet in the eastern sky, sitting close to the horizon, meaning that you would need to get away from tall trees or buildings to get a good view.
Above and to the left of Mercury will be Venus, the brightest planet in the night sky.
Recommended Reading:
The waning crescent moon will be not too far from Uranus. This is best viewed through a small telescope.
Over in the southwestern sky, Saturn will be shining brighter at a magnitude of 0.75, with Neptune also visible to those with binoculars or a telescope.
Before the dazzling parade, the Sturgeon Moon will also rise. This will take place on August 9.
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Planetary parade: When to see the rare event in the UK skies
Planetary parade: When to see the rare event in the UK skies

Glasgow Times

time15 hours ago

  • Glasgow Times

Planetary parade: When to see the rare event in the UK skies

Stargazers have already been treated to one rare planetary parade this year, when Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune could all be seen in the sky at once in January. Then, in February, Mercury joined the party to form a "grand planet parade" where all seven planets were pictured above the horizon at the same time. But if you missed any of these, there's another planet parade is on its way. August's planetary parade Later this month, six planets and the moon will line up in the night sky. Four of them – Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn – will be visible to the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune can be spotted through binoculars or a small telescope. When to see the planetary parade in August The planet parade will take place on the morning of August 18. The alignment will be visible for about 45 minutes before sunrise at around 6am, according to The Farmers' Almanac. The Perseid meteor shower is also set to peak around this time, which could mean that stargazers spot 'shooting stars' too. Where to spot each planet in the night sky Mercury will be the lowest planet in the eastern sky, sitting close to the horizon, meaning that you would need to get away from tall trees or buildings to get a good view. Above and to the left of Mercury will be Venus, the brightest planet in the night sky. Recommended Reading: The waning crescent moon will be not too far from Uranus. This is best viewed through a small telescope. Over in the southwestern sky, Saturn will be shining brighter at a magnitude of 0.75, with Neptune also visible to those with binoculars or a telescope. Before the dazzling parade, the Sturgeon Moon will also rise. This will take place on August 9.

How to see 2025 August Sturgeon Moon in UK this weekend
How to see 2025 August Sturgeon Moon in UK this weekend

Rhyl Journal

timea day ago

  • Rhyl Journal

How to see 2025 August Sturgeon Moon in UK this weekend

From the rare planetary parade to the peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower on August 12 and 13, be sure to look up. This weekend, the Sturgeon Moon will light up the skies across the UK. Here is all to know about the spectacle and when and how to see it. The Sturgeon Moon is the name given to the final full moon of summer 2025, taking place in August. There are often many informal names given to monthly full moons. As explained by the BBC's Sky at Night Magazine, this moon takes its name from the fact that late summer is the time when sturgeon fish were most plentiful in the Great Lakes of North America. The 2025 Sturgeon Moon will be available to see this weekend, and it is the last full moon in summer this year. It will rise tonight, on Saturday, August 9 and Sunday, August 10, in the southeast between 8pm and 9pm, but timings vary depending on your exact location. According to the MoonPhases UK website, it is estimated that the Sturgeon Moon will start rising at 7.57pm in London. The moon is full on both Saturday and Sunday and rises at roughly the same time in roughly the same location on both evenings. The 2025 Sturgeon Moon in the UK will rise this weekend (Image: Getty Images) The best places to view it are any with low light pollution, such as a public park or nature reserve. The Sky at Night Magazine also says that if you view the Sturgeon Moon from its rise, then you will witness an optical effect called the "Moon Illusion". It says: "It happens when the Moon is low on the horizon and looks much bigger than normal. "It's likely caused by foreground objects like buildings and trees appearing tiny in comparison to the bright full Moon, thereby making the Moon itself look huge." The good news for anyone going out to view the Sturgeon Moon is that the weather appears to be mostly clear skies this weekend, although some cloud coverage may disrupt views. The Sturgeon Moon is not the only exciting sky event taking place this month. Next week, the Perseids Meteor Shower peaks, which could see more than 100 per hour, meaning August 12 and 13 are the best times to see it. It has been active since July 17 and will continue until August 24. Then, later in August, there will be a planetary parade with six planets visible in the night sky. Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune can be spotted through binoculars or a small telescope. It will take place on the morning of August 18, with the alignment visible for about 45 minutes before sunrise at around 6am, according to The Farmers' Almanac. Recommended reading: It is not the first planetary parade event to take place in 2025. In January, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune could all be seen in the sky at once. Then, in February, Mercury joined the party to form a "grand planet parade" where all seven planets were pictured above the horizon at the same time.

Planetary parade: When to see the rare event in the UK skies
Planetary parade: When to see the rare event in the UK skies

Powys County Times

time2 days ago

  • Powys County Times

Planetary parade: When to see the rare event in the UK skies

A planetary parade will take place later this month as six planets will be visible in the night sky. Stargazers have already been treated to one rare planetary parade this year, when Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune could all be seen in the sky at once in January. Then, in February, Mercury joined the party to form a "grand planet parade" where all seven planets were pictured above the horizon at the same time. But if you missed any of these, there's another planet parade is on its way. August's planetary parade Later this month, six planets and the moon will line up in the night sky. Four of them – Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn – will be visible to the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune can be spotted through binoculars or a small telescope. When to see the planetary parade in August The planet parade will take place on the morning of August 18. The alignment will be visible for about 45 minutes before sunrise at around 6am, according to The Farmers' Almanac. The Perseid meteor shower is also set to peak around this time, which could mean that stargazers spot 'shooting stars' too. Where to spot each planet in the night sky Mercury will be the lowest planet in the eastern sky, sitting close to the horizon, meaning that you would need to get away from tall trees or buildings to get a good view. Above and to the left of Mercury will be Venus, the brightest planet in the night sky. Recommended Reading: The waning crescent moon will be not too far from Uranus. This is best viewed through a small telescope. Over in the southwestern sky, Saturn will be shining brighter at a magnitude of 0.75, with Neptune also visible to those with binoculars or a telescope. Before the dazzling parade, the Sturgeon Moon will also rise. This will take place on August 9.

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