Technologies

The Next Planet Parade Takes Place at the End of August. Here’s How to See It

Eagle-eyed sky watchers will be able to catch Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus in the sky at the same time.

Fresh off the excitement of the Perseids meteor shower is a chance to see six planets in the sky at the same time. These events, colloquially known as planet parades, only occur about once or twice a year, with the most recent one in February showing off all seven planets at once. The next one will feature six of our closest celestial neighbors, and the event starts on Aug. 20.

The six planets sharing the sky will be Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus. Mars will technically be there at the beginning of the night, but it dips below the horizon right after sunset, so it won’t be visible when all of the others are. Of those, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will be visible to the naked eye, while the others will require high-powered binoculars or, preferably, a telescope.

Even though they’re spread out across the eastern and southern skies, the planets pair up with this one, making many of them pretty easy to find if you know what to look for. From east to west, here’s where each one will be.

Mercury — Eastern sky near the Cancer constellation. It’ll pop over the horizon just before sunrise, so you’ll have limited time to view it before the sun comes up and obfuscates it.
Venus — At the lower tip of the Gemini constellation in the eastern sky, a couple of hours before sunrise.
Jupiter — Will be near Venus, also in the Gemini constellation. It rises about an hour before Venus does.
Uranus — Will be near the upper tip of Taurus, rising after midnight. This one will require some magnification. If you see Pleiades, a cluster of stars at the upper tip of Taurus, you’ve gone too far upward.
Saturn and Neptune — These two are right next to each other and will be sitting between the Pisces and Cetus constellations in the southern skies. Neptune will be closer to Pisces while Saturn will be closer to Cetus.

Since it takes a long time for planets to move through the night sky, Aug. 20 is the starting point, and it’ll run through the rest of the month. Once September hits, Mercury will be too close to the sun, which will obscure it. From that point, there will be a five-planet parade for a while until Venus sinks below the horizon in early October. So, in all, you’ll have a chance to see at least five planets for over a month.

Will the planet parade be visible from my region?

Yes. We double checked Stellarium’s sky map from a variety of locations across the country, and everything above will be applicable everywhere in the continental US. Per Starwalk, the parade will also be visible in other parts of the world after the following dates for about the same amount of time (one to two weeks).

Abu Dhabi — Aug. 9
Athens, Beijing, Berlin, Tokyo and London — Aug. 10
Mumbai and Hong Kong — Aug. 11
Reykjavik, São Paulo and Sydney — Aug. 12

The planets will move based on date, though. The above locations are where they’ll be around Aug. 20, but if you’re looking a week or so later, they’ll be in the same general area, but will shift to a slightly different part of the sky.

Will I need any special equipment?

Yes. Neptune and Uranus, especially, will require some sort of magnification to see. We recommend a telescope, but high-powered binoculars may work if the sky is dark enough. Saturn is also difficult to see without magnification, so you’ll want it for that too. Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury should be visible on their own with the naked eye.

We also recommend taking a trip out to the country, as light pollution from suburbs and cities can make it even more difficult to see Neptune and Uranus. The moon will be out as well, which may make Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury harder to see. Other factors like weather may also make it more difficult to see all of them. If you’re lucky, you may see a few shooting stars at the tail end of Perseids as well.

Technologies

The FDA Just Upgraded an Egg Recall to the Highest Severity Level. Are You Affected?

Over 6 million eggs were caught up in a salmonella-related recall in September. Now, the FDA says there’s a «reasonable probability» of serious illness.

Scan your shelves for cartons from Black Sheep Egg Company. The company voluntarily recalled more than 6 million eggs after the US Food and Drug Administration found environmental samples at one of its processing centers tested positive for salmonella.

Read more: How Long Do Eggs Really Last in the Fridge? An Expert Explains

«Of the samples collected, 40 environmental samples were positive for salmonella including seven different strains of salmonella,» said the initial recall alert from the FDA. «Some of these strains are known to cause human illness.»

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

While multiple Black Sheep Egg Company products have been affected by this recall, the FDA identified 12- and 18-count cartons of Black Sheep Egg Company Free Range Large Grade A Brown Eggs as Class 1.

This is the agency’s highest-severity level recall, and it warns against consuming a product that could «cause serious adverse health consequences or death.»

Which products are affected by the recall?

The recall doesn’t affect every Black Sheep Egg Company egg carton, but check the eggs in your fridge.

You should get rid of the following products if they have a Best By date between Aug. 7 and Oct. 31, or a UPC code that reads 860010568507 or 860010568538:

Free Range Grade A Large Brown Eggs, 12-count cartons
Free Range Grade A Large Brown Eggs, 18-count cartons
Free Range Grade AA Large Brown Eggs, loose-packed in boxes
Free Range Grade AA Medium Brown Eggs, loose-packed in boxes
Free Range Grade AA Large Brown Eggs, loose open skid
Free Range Grade AA Medium Brown Eggs, loose open skid
Free Range Grade AA Large White Eggs, loose open skid
Free Range Grade AA Medium White Eggs, loose open skid
Free Range Grade AA Large White Eggs, 12-count cartons
Free Range Grade AA Medium White Eggs, 18-count cartons

Additionally, Black Sheep Egg Company is a supplier for Kenz Henz in Texas. Kenz Henz is also issuing a voluntary recall of the following product if it has a Best By date between Oct. 11 and Oct. 17 and a UPC code of 86949400030:

Grade AA Large Pasture Raised eggs, 12-count cartons

Where did the affected eggs come from?

According to the FDA, the salmonella samples were found in Black Sheep Egg Company’s Arkansas processing center.

While Black Sheep Egg Company cooperated with the FDA and voluntarily recalled the potentially contaminated eggs, it had already shipped products to other companies within Arkansas and Missouri. These eggs may have been repackaged and further distributed to other states, so this recall could expand over time.

What should I do if I find the affected eggs in my fridge?

If you find a recalled Black Sheep Egg Company or Kenz Henz product in your refrigerator, discard it immediately. If you’ve eaten any eggs, monitor yourself for signs of illness.

«Illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours after eating food that is contaminated with salmonella, and the symptoms usually last four to seven days,» the FDA statement said. «Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections.»

If you believe you’ve developed symptoms of a salmonella infection, contact a healthcare provider immediately.

If you find affected eggs in your home, carefully sanitize any countertops, surfaces or containers the eggs have touched. Wash utensils and cooking implements with hot soapy water, then wash your hands afterward.

Technologies

Samsung TVs Now Can Provide Weather Forecast, Find a Pizza Place

The company is adding a Perplexity AI app to all of its new TVs and even older ones.

You’re sprawled on the couch, watching the latest stream of your favorite show. Why not plan your next vacation while you’re at it? That’s the thought behind Samsung’s latest AI innovation, the Perplexity TV app. It’s a standalone AI agent available on all 2025 Samsung TVs and, later this year, on 2023 and 2024 TVs with the latest OS upgrade.

Earlier this month, at the Berlin consumer-electronics show IFA 2025, the company introduced Samsung Vision AI, which allowed TV viewers to access more information about the shows and actors they were watching. Viewers can also use the Vision AI Companion in other ways, such as receiving recommendations for shows and movies. The Perplexity TV app builds on Vision AI’s skillset.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Samsung integrated AI across a wide range of its products, including smartphones, appliances, earbuds, tablets and TVs, as part of the company’s vision to «leap forward as an AI-driven company that makes the best use of AI, works with AI, and grows with AI,» executive Roh Tae-Moon said at the 2025 Tech Forum in Silicon Valley last week.

‘Curiosity can strike at any time’

Samsung partnered with Perplexity, a self-proclaimed «free AI-powered answer engine.» Samsung says its Perplexity TV app can provide the weather forecast, find you the closest pizza shop or tell you the date of the Kentucky Derby.

Ryan Foutty, Perplexity’s vice president of business, said creating an AI app for TVs makes sense because «curiosity can strike at any time» and that consumers should be able to access information from AI regardless of the AI-driven interfaces they are using.

Use the apps tab on your Samsung TV to access the Perplexity TV App, or hit the AI button on your remote to access Samsung’s Vision AI Companion. You can also ask the AI questions by speaking into the built-in microphone on the remote and TV, or using the on-screen keyboard.

CNET expert isn’t yet sold

CNET’s David Katzmaier saw Samsung’s AI-enhanced TVs earlier this year at CES 2025, and isn’t quite convinced that this is a vital addition.

«At first blush, a built-in AI agent doesn’t seem to me like a good reason to choose one TV over another,» Katzmaier said. «To make it worthwhile, Samsung needs to prove that it’s better than, say, Perplexity on your phone.»

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 22, #394

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle No. 394 for Wednesday, Oct. 22.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

How much do you like basketball? If it’s your game, today’s Connections: Sports Edition is for you. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Big Apple hoops.

Green group hint: Hoops winners.

Blue group hint: Shoes.

Purple group hint: Look at the logo.