6-planet alignment visible in night sky this August — PAGASA

Six planets will be visibly aligned in the night sky in August, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

“Beginning 10 August, the early morning sky will showcase a planetary alignment featuring Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury,”  the agency said Sunday.

It added that on Aug 12, Venus and Jupiter will pass very close to each other at 02:39 p.m. and they will align in the same right ascension at 04:00 p.m. with Venus passing 51.6’ to the south of Jupiter.

“Both will be located in Gemini, with Venus shining at magnitude -4.0 and Jupiter at magnitude -1.9. Though these events take place with the Sun’s presence, the best time to view their close pairing will be at 05:00 a.m.,” PAGASA said.

State astronomers said in August, Saturn will rise in the east in the evening, “adding its glow to the night sky,” while Venus and Jupiter can be seen, alongside Saturn, in the pre-dawn hours.

PAGASA also noted that Mercury will be positioned low along the eastern horizon, “with its best visibility towards the middle until the end of the month.” — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News