August 2025 is the month of planetary alignment.
Starting August 10, a rare six-planet alignment will be visible in the early morning Alabama skies before sunrise.
Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn will appear in a line across Alabama's eastern horizon. Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn may be visible to the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune will require binoculars or a telescope.
How to view the alignment:
- Time: Look about an hour before sunrise, starting August 10 through the end of the month.
- Location: The planets will be low on Alabama's eastern horizon.
- What can you see?
- Naked eye: Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn will be visible.
- Binoculars or telescope: Uranus and Neptune will require some magnification.
As an extra bonus, Alabama skygazers can also witness the annual Perseid meteor shower at the same time.
The alignment is a bit of an optical illusion. The planets are not really aligned. They merely appear to be aligned when viewed from planet Earth. In actuality, they are millions of miles apart.
Starting August 11 and continuing through August 31, the parade of stars will feature different planets and differing alignments. There are various features of the alignment.
August 11-13: Shooting Stars as Venus Kisses Jupiter
The two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, "kiss" in the predawn sky (Venus-Jupiter conjunction). Face east about 45 minutes before sunrise to find brilliant Venus next to slightly dimmer Jupiter. They will appear side by side on August 11, closest on August 12, and Jupiter stands above Venus on August 13.
Venus and Jupiter will only be one to two degrees apart, but you will definitely be able to separate them with your naked eye. They will quickly spread out as Jupiter heads higher in the sky each morning while Venus sinks lower.
The annual Perseid Meteor Shower reaches its peak activity between August 11 and 13. This year, the bright Moon may wash out many of the shooting stars. But if you're already out there looking for planets, you have a decent chance of catching one or two meteors.
August 12: Moon Kisses Saturn and Neptune
That morning, the waning gibbous Moon slides near the pair of planets, Saturn and Neptune. Face south an hour or two before sunrise, and the Moon will be about three degrees to the right of Saturn.
August 16: Moon Near Pleiades and Uranus
Look high in the southeastern sky to find the third-quarter Moon. To the left of the Moon, you may see a little star cluster called the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. The planet Uranus will be about five degrees below the Moon that morning, but you'll need a telescope to find it.
August 18: Picture-Perfect Line Up
This will be the morning when several bright planets and the Moon will line up in a picture-perfect parade. Face east about 45 minutes before sunrise. Mercury will be at its lowest in the sky and will be the toughest to spot. But above it and to the right, you won't miss dazzlingly bright Venus quickly followed by dimmer, but still stunning Jupiter. Higher still , you'll see the waning crescent Moon. Camera alert: The four space objects will appear nicely spaced in an arc, so get your camera ready and share your pictures with us!
August 20: Moon Kisses Venus
Just before sunrise, face east and you'll see a slim crescent Moon near the brightest starlike object. That is Venu,s and it is spectacular.
August 21: Moon Over Mercury
Mercury will be extremely low in the eastern sky and may be lost in the dawn's glare. However, you might have a chance of spotting it just below the slimmest crescent Moon about 30 minutes before sunrise.
The End of the Parade
The Planet Parade will break up quickly, with Mercury being the first to fall out of visibility by August 29 or 30. The five remaining planets will linger through summertime, making appearances every morning through September.
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.
Jim' Zig' Zeigler's beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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