Skywatchers are in for a treat as a rare celestial event unfolds this week, allowing them to witness a remarkable planetary alignment, dubbed a “planet parade.” This event, occurring on February 28, will provide a unique opportunity to see all seven of Earth’s neighboring planets lined up in the night sky, although not all of them will be visible to the naked eye.
The alignment has been slowly building up and will reach its peak at the end of the week, according to reports from TODAY. A planetary alignment occurs when planets in our solar system appear on the same elliptic line. While such alignments are not uncommon, the chance to visibly spot multiple planets at once is a rare occasion.
Michael Shanahan, director of the Liberty Science Center Planetarium in New Jersey, explained:
Alignment means that at this one moment, all of the seven planets can be seen. Some will be blazing bright and amazing, while others will require binoculars or a small telescope to see.
On February 28, the best strategy for spotting these celestial bodies will be to turn westward after sunset, ideally equipped with a telescope. Stargazers can look forward to seeing Venus, Mars, and Jupiter without much difficulty. However, spotting Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will require additional assistance, and the elusive Mercury — the closest planet to the sun — will be the hardest to catch, with reports suggesting only one in a thousand people can identify it. Shanahan noted:
They say that one person in 1,000 ever sees Mercury and knows they’re seeing it. It only makes a brief appearance near the sun, either at sunset or just before dawn.
One reason February 28 has been highlighted for viewing is due to optimal conditions for seeing Mercury. The unique spectacle will not occur again for over a decade; the next major planetary alignment is expected in late August 2025, featuring four planets.
In the past, a five-planet alignment was visible in San Diego in June 2022, while a six-planet alignment is scheduled for August 2024. According to NASA, the next instance where all seven planets will be visible together will not take place until 2040.
