May 2028 Planet Parade: 4 planets in the evening sky

Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Uranus share the evening sky around May 4, 2028. Below: what each planet looks like, how to catch the line-up, and how this parade compares with its neighbors.

A planet parade is a line-of-sight arrangement, not an event out among the planets themselves. Because every planet orbits in nearly the same flat plane, they always appear strung along one line in our sky, the ecliptic; a parade is just a spell when several of them sit above the horizon together. The bearings here are worked out for mid-northern latitudes (around 40°N), and your own view depends on where you stand, which the live tracker handles.

Planet by planet

Mercury hangs low, only about 9° up in the west-northwest, so it needs a flat, open horizon in that direction. Plenty of lifelong stargazers have never knowingly seen Mercury, and many observers still log their first certain sighting as a milestone.

Venus sits a comfortable 22° above the horizon in the west-northwest. Its cloud tops reflect about three quarters of the sunlight that hits them, which is why it outshines every star.

Jupiter rides high, about 55° up in the south-southeast, well clear of any horizon haze. Jupiter outshines every night-time star and moves at a stately pace, spending about a year in each zodiac constellation.

Uranus hangs low, only about 11° up in the west-northwest, so it needs a flat, open horizon in that direction. Uranus glows right at the naked-eye limit near magnitude 5.7, so it hides in plain sight until binoculars and a chart pin it down.

On the zodiac that evening, Mercury, Venus and Uranus share Gemini; Jupiter stands in Virgo. Signs here are the tropical longitudes the tables on this site use, counted from 0° at the spring equinox.

The Moon joins the line-up too, about 48° up in the south-southeast. It makes a handy signpost for star-hopping to the fainter planets.

How to watch this parade

No alarm needed: start about 54 minutes after local sunset on Thursday, May 4, 2028, once the twilight has faded enough for the planets to pop out one by one.

The limiting planet is Mercury at only about 9° up, so pick a viewing spot with an unobstructed view toward the west-northwest. The line stretches about 102° along the ecliptic, so sweep your gaze along the Sun's daily path to trace it.

One pairing stands out this time: Mercury and Uranus sit about 3° apart, close enough to frame together in binoculars or a single photo.

You need no equipment for Mercury, Venus and Jupiter; Uranus is the reason to bring binoculars or a small telescope.

How good is this one?

Our tracker scores every parade from 0 to 100. This one rates 54 out of 100: 20 of 35 points for the number of planets, 15 of 25 for naked-eye planets, 9 of 20 for how tightly they group, 9 of 10 for altitude, and 1 of 10 for staying power.

The window is short, so aim for the nights right around the peak. The previous parade over this reference location peaked in March 2028 with 4 planets; the next comes in September 2028 with 5 planets.

Does a parade do anything to Earth? Nothing at all; the alignment is only in our line of sight. Gravity falls off with the square of distance, and the planets are so far away that their combined tug is thousands of times smaller than the Moon's. It cannot budge a tide, let alone the weather. This is a view, not a force.

Frequently asked questions

Which planets are part of the May 2028 planet parade?

Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Uranus. Mercury, Venus and Jupiter are visible to the naked eye; Uranus needs binoculars or a telescope.

What time should I look for the May 2028 planet parade?

Start looking about 54 minutes after local sunset, with the best evening on Thursday, May 4, 2028. Good evenings run from Apr 29, 2028 to May 8, 2028.

Do I need a telescope to see this planet parade?

Not for the highlights: Mercury, Venus and Jupiter show with the unaided eye. You only need binoculars or a telescope for Uranus.

Where in the sky should I look?

Face the western sky about 54 minutes after sunset. The planets sit between about 9° and 55° above the horizon, strung along the ecliptic.

Keep exploring: the Planet Parade Tracker for any date and place, the Planetary Alignment Calculator for exact conjunction dates, and the Synodic-Period Calculator for how often two planets meet.