Last Chance To See ‘Planet Parade’ This Weekend Before Mercury Sinks

BreakingInnovationScienceLast Chance To See ‘Planet Parade’ This Weekend Before Mercury SinksByJamie Carter,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky.Follow AuthorJun 12, 2026, 10:32am EDTToplineIf you’ve noticed the bright “star” shining low in the west after dark, but not seen the “planet parade,” act now because Venus, Jupiter and Mercury will not be visible together for long. The display, often called a planet parade, will be visible low above the west-northwestern horizon from about an hour after the time of sunset where you are. Venus will be the easiest to find, shining as the brightest star-like object in the twilight. A dimmer Jupiter will appear nearby, while tiny Mercury will sit lower toward the horizon and may be harder to spot.The planets Jupiter (L), Venus (C) and Mercury (R) are seen in an unusual conjunction setting over the Wupatki pueblo ruin on May 24, 2013 at Wupatki National Monument north of Flagstaff, Arizona. Credit: Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesKey FactsMercury, Venus and Jupiter will appear low in the west-northwestern sky about 45 minutes after sunset, but the viewing window will only be about 90 minutes.Venus will be the easiest planet to find, with Jupiter nearby and Mercury lower toward the horizon. Mercury will only be visible until around Monday, June 15.Mars and Saturn will not be part of the evening parade, but both can be seen about an hour before dawn.The northern lights may also be visible from northern U.S. states and Canada overnight on both Friday and Saturday if a coronal mass ejection triggers geomagnetic storming, with Friday favored.Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will gather low in the evening sky from June-11 through June 16, 2026, giving skywatchers a brief chance to see three planets together shortly after sunset. This image was supplied by NASA.NASA/JPL-Caltech if (!window.cnxel) { win...