Six solar system planets will appear across the morning sky before sunrise on August 12, visible from Ecuador between 05:15 and 05:45 continental Ecuador time. Reddish Mars and golden Saturn will be the easiest of the group to distinguish with the naked eye.
Due to the country's equatorial location, day length varies very little between cities, making the viewing window practically identical in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, and the rest of the continental territory. In Galapagos, which has a one-hour time difference from the mainland, the equivalent window occurs at the same local clock time.
Planet identification and viewing directions
To locate the planets, observers must look toward the eastern horizon, where the celestial bodies will stretch across a wide band rather than a straight line. Steady light distinguishes the planets from stars, which twinkle in the sky.
Solar eclipse and Perseid meteor shower
August 12 also coincides with a total solar eclipse that will not be visible from Ecuador, though viewers can watch a live stream provided by NASA starting at 12:15 p.m. Ecuador time. Later that night, the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak, which observers in Ecuador can watch directly.
