Astronomy tripleheader begins with planetary parade on Wednesday

Six planets will be above the horizon before sunrise Wednesday, but only two will be easy to see before a solar eclipse and the Perseid meteor shower round out a busy day in the sky.

Wednesday will bring a busy day for skywatchers, starting with a planetary alignment before daybreak and ending with the most popular meteor shower of the year.

A planetary parade including Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn and Neptune will be stretched across the sky, but only two of them will be easy to see with the naked eye.

Mars and Saturn will be the best planets to look for, as they will both be shining high in the southern sky.

Jupiter and Mercury are usually easy to find, but they will be just above the eastern horizon around the same time morning twilight starts to brighten the sky, making both planets difficult to spot.

Uranus and Neptune will also be above the horizon, but they are too faint to see without binoculars or a telescope. Those hoping to see the dim duo can find Uranus almost directly between Mars and Saturn, while Neptune will be located below and just to the right of Saturn.

The planetary alignment is only the first event on a packed astronomy calendar. Later Wednesday, a partial solar eclipse will be visible across parts of North America and Europe, while small areas of Iceland, Greenland, Spain and Portugal will experience a total solar eclipse.

The day will end with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, with 40 to 60 shooting stars per hour streaking across the sky.

Unlike the solar eclipse, the Perseids will not be limited to one narrow viewing area, although cloud-free weather will be needed to enjoy the show. The first meteors will appear not long after nightfall, with activity increasing throughout the second half of the night.

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