This week, seven planets will align in the night sky, giving viewers a brief opportunity to witness a “planetary parade.”
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus are all visible under clear skies, but not all can be seen with the naked eye, according to Space.com and other celestial event tracking websites.
For the best chances, spectators should look at the sky as soon as the sun goes down. That is when the planets will briefly appear.
The best day will vary according to your location. According to Star Walk, a sky-gazing app, the parade was first seen in Tokyo on February 22. Star Walk stated that New York will have the best view of the event on February 25.
In other parts of the world, the phenomenon will be most visible in early March. The best day to see the alignment will be February 28.
How to watch the planetary parade
According to NASA, the five planets visible to the naked eye are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
Star Walk predicts that Mars will appear reddish and high in the sky, near the Gemini constellation. Jupiter will be slightly lower in the sky, near Taurus. Venus will be visible as the brightest planet in the sky, near the Pisces constellation.
Mercury will be located in the constellation Aquarius, near the sun and just above the western horizon. Saturn will also be close to the sun and low on the horizon, making it more difficult to spot, according to Star Walk.
NASA stated that a telescope is required to see Uranus and Neptune. According to Star Walk, Uranus will appear in the Aries constellation and Neptune in Pisces.
The display will only be visible for a few minutes after sunset, as the planets near the horizon, Saturn and Mercury, will be setting. When they fall below the horizon, they are no longer visible, but the other planets remain visible in the night sky.
For the best view, choose a location with low light pollution and a clear view of the horizon. Clear skies will also be required to see all of the planets.
How do planetary alignments work?
The solar system’s planets orbit the sun in the same way that the Earth does. Every planet orbits with a different speed and distance.
During these alignments, the planets appear to be lined up from Earth’s perspective, resulting in the visual display, NASA stated. In reality, the planets are extremely distant from one another.
The planets also move slowly, resulting in the multi-day timeline of the planetary parades.
When will the next planetary alignment be?
NASA reports that four or five planets form alignments every few years. In late August 2025, four planets will be visible before sunrise, and in late October 2028, five planets will be visible simultaneously before sunrise. Another five-planet alignment will take place in late February 2034, with the planets visible after sunset.
“In summary, while they aren’t once-in-a-lifetime events, planetary parades afford an uncommon opportunity to look up and appreciate our place in our solar system, with diverse worlds arrayed across the sky before our very eyes,” according to the agency’s website.
Outside of planetary alignments, other planets can be seen individually. Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are frequently visible in the night sky, according to NASA.
