Skywatchers are in for a celestial spectacle on February 28 as seven out of the eight planets in the solar system will be visible for a short time in the sky. Dubbed planetary parade, or planetary alignment, the phenomena takes place when multiple planets gather closely on one side of the Sun at the same time.
According to NASA, planetary parades aren’t rare, but they are worth checking out since they don’t happen every year. As for the one taking place tomorrow, the space agency says an event like this won’t happen until 2040, which is more than a decade away. To give you a quick recap, the last planetary parade where all seven planets took place in May last year when they were visible in the morning sky.
How to watch the February 28 Planetary Parade?
While astronomers have been enjoying a nice view of the planets since December last year, this will be the first time that all planets will be visible in the evening sky soon after sunset. On February 28, the ideal time to witness the planetary parade will be approximately 45 minutes after sunset. Here’s how and where you can spot all planets during the planetary parade.
Out of all the planets in the solar system, Saturn, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Mars will be easily visible to the naked eye, but you will have to use a telescope or a pair of binoculars to spot Uranus and Neptune. According to Starwalk, since Saturn is pretty close to the Sun, you will need to know the exact time for your exact location to spot it.
Mars can be spotted just above the southern horizon in the constellation Gemini while Jupiter will appear as the second brightest planet and can be found in the constellation Taurus. As for Uranus, it will be visible in the Aries constellation and can be seen by the naked eye, but only if it’s a perfectly dark clear sky.
Volcanic Venus will be closer to the western horizon in the Pisces constellation and just above it, you might be able to spot Neptune. Since it will be the faintest planet, you will most likely require a pair of binoculars. Closest to the Sun, Mercury can be spotted in the Aquarius constellation. And while Saturn is pretty easy to spot in the night sky, it will be the hardest to spot during the planetary parade as it sits close to the Sun.
If the place you live dosen’t have a clear sky or you are unable to watch the sky tonight, tune in to the livestream below to get a view from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) located on the summit of Maunakea, Hawai’i.
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