Parade Across VA Skies Stars 6 Of The 7 Planets; What’s Missing?

VIRGINIA — The Perseid meteor shower is winding down, but take a peek at the pre-dawn skies over Virginia through early September, and you’ll be able to see six planets, weather permitting. Only Venus is missing from the planetary lineup.

The forecast for Northern Virginia through Labor Day and beyond calls for rain showers through Sunday night, improving to partly cloudy skies on Monday night. Or, if you’re traveling, check the National Weather Service forecast to see if you need to squeeze the parade of planets into your vacation itinerary.

The bright planets of Jupiter and Mars are still visible in the morning sky after their mid-August conjunction. Saturn, visible in the western sky, is nearly at its brightest as it reaches opposition — which occurs when Saturn appears opposite the sun when viewed from Earth — on Sept. 7.

Jupiter, Mars and Saturn are all prominent. Mercury, which recently moved into the pre-dawn sky, also is relatively easy to spot, while dim Uranus and Neptune are a little more elusive.

To see them all, stand in an open area with clear view of the east, south and west, EarthSky recommends. Between Mercury near the eastern horizon and Saturn in the southwestern sky are Mars and Jupiter, which are joined by a crescent moon until it disappears around Labor Day, and then the harder-to-see Uranus, and Neptune.

And if you’re longing to see Venus, the second planet away from the sun and the lone planet missing in the current early morning lineup, you may catch a glimpse of it in the western sky around dusk through the end of the year. The best overall chances to see Venus in the evening sky are Oct. 5-Dec. 31, according to Space.com.

• Related: 2024 Guide To Meteor Showers, Supermoons And More

It’s possible you might also see a stray Perseid meteor or two while you’re taking in the pre-dawn planetary parade. The shower ends Sept. 1, and we’ll have to wait until October to see shooting stars from the fall meteor showers.

Also in September, the full harvest moon on the 18th is the second of four consecutive supermoons.