Last planetary parade of the year: how to see six planets at dawn

This is reported by NASA in its monthly "What's Up" guide . The main protagonists are Venus and Jupiter, which came within one degree of each other on 11-12 August. At the same time, albeit with poor visibility, the peak of the famous Perseid meteor shower was observed.

Throughout the month, Venus and Jupiter will shine in the east before dawn. These two brightest planets were as close as possible to each other on the morning of 11 and 12 August - just one degree apart. They can already be seen against the backdrop of bright stars such as Orion, Taurus, Gemini and Sirius. And on 19-20 August they will be joined by the Moon's thin sickle, forming a picturesque trinity in the sky. And on August 19-20, the Moon's thin sickle will join them, forming a picturesque trinity in the sky.

Planets of August: What, Where, and When

• Mercury will appear above the horizon in the second half of the month, remaining low above the horizon (up to 10°).

• Venus shines brightly each morning at about 20-30°.

• Mars is visible low in the west about an hour after sunset.

• Jupiter rises before dawn along with Venus, but shines more faintly.

• Saturn is visible from late evening to dawn: first rising around 22:30, and by the end of the month at 20:30. Before dawn it can be seen high in the south.

The Dumbbell Nebula: a peek into the Sun's future

August is also a great time to see one of the most accessible nebulae, M27, also known as the Dumbbell Nebula. It is located in the constellation of Foxy, at the centre of the star triangle Leto, formed by the stars Vega, Deneb and Altair. The nebula is the remnant of a star like our Sun, which shed its outer layers and became a white dwarf. It's now emitting ultraviolet light, illuminating the ejected cloud of gas. In 5 billion years' time, something similar will happen to our sun.

Phases of the Moon in August 2025:

• First quarter - 1 August

• Full Moon - 9 August

• Last Quarter - 16 August

• New Moon - 23 August

• Second first quarter - 31 August

According to Justin Barthel of the Virginia Museum of Science, the best time to observe is early morning, just before sunrise. You should look towards the east: Venus and Jupiter will be the first to be spotted, followed by Saturn a little further away, and Mercury will be closer to the horizon. He also explained that the planets do not twinkle like stars and appear as steady bright points of light.

To increase the chances of success, astronomers advise choosing a morning with clear skies, no clouds, and finding a spot away from tall buildings that may block the view.