Seven planets to be visible in night sky for last time until 2040
Skywatchers are in for a treat this week as seven planets – Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, and Saturn will all be briefly visible in the evening sky.
This phenomenon, known as a ‘planetary parade’ is a rare sight, and it will be the last time seven planets can be seen simultaneously so well until 2040.
The best chance to see as many planets as possible will be just after sunset on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Four of the planets – Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars – will be visible to the naked eye. Saturn will be harder to see because it will be low in the horizon. You will need a telescope to spot the other two planets – Uranus and Neptune.
A good view of the horizon and clear skies will offer the best chance of spotting them all. However, the window to see all seven planets will be very brief.
Dr Edward Bloomer, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich said: “There’s a rare opportunity to have seven planets in essentially a convenient place for you to look for them.”
As the sun sets, Saturn and Mercury will also be setting, making them particularly difficult to see.
“You really only have a few minutes after sunset to catch them before they drop below the horizon. After that, you’ll still be able to see Venus, Jupiter, and Mars clearly for a much longer time,” Dr Bloomer added.
The planets in our solar system orbit the Sun within roughly the same flat plane as the Earth.
As they orbit at different speeds and distances from the Sun, there are moments when they appear to line up from Earth’s perspective creating a spectacular visual display, although the planets remain separated by vast distances in space.
Venus and Jupiter will be the easiest to spot due to their brightness, while Mars will have a distinct reddish hue.
“Uranus is technically visible with the naked eye, but you’d need perfect eyesight and ideal conditions,” Dr Bloomer explains.
To improve your chances of seeing as many planets as possible, Dr Bloomer advises heading to a location with a clear view of the horizon and minimal light pollution.
“If you just pop out of your kitchen into your back garden, you will take time to adjust to the light levels. Give it a bit of time – your eyes take about half an hour to fully adjust,” said Dr Bloomer.
“Avoid looking at your phone, get comfortable, and ensure you have an unobstructed view of the horizon.”
While this is an exciting opportunity, Dr Bloomer encourages people to make a habit of gazing at the night sky.
“See how things change,” he said, adding that observing the heavens is “a chance to witness the ongoing mechanics of the solar system at work.”
On Wednesday night, skies will be generally cloudier with showery rain at times.
By Thursday, expect a drier, clearer view of the night sky. Earlier in the evening is best, as mist and fog patches may develop further into the night.
For Friday high pressure is expected to dominate, keeping dry conditions for most with clear spells. Soon after sunset is most favoured as mist and fog patches may develop later.
Additional reporting by Sarah Keith-Lucas of BBC Weather
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by Steve Benham, KATU Staff
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — There is something pleasing to the eye to see things lined up, and when it happens with celestial objects, it is mystical, awe-inspiring.
Six planets are currently gracing our night sky, forming an arc on our celestial dome just after sunset. From west to east: Saturn, Mercury, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars.
But on Friday, Feb. 28, a slim crescent Moon will join the parade, floating between Mercury and Saturn.
Saturn on that night will be difficult, maybe even impossible, to see. It’s so close to the Sun from our point of view, it will drown in the light of the enormous ball of plasma.
If you seek out the ringed planet, you’ll need a clear view of the western horizon about 30 minutes after sunset. Try to find it with binoculars, but a telescope might be needed.
Use the sliver of the Moon to find Mercury, hovering just above our closest celestial neighbor, where the footprints of Neil Armstrong and those of 11 other people are still imprinted in the regolith of its surface. Those markings of human exploration will be there for perhaps a billion years.
Venus, you can’t miss. Many people mistake it for an airplane, or even a UFO. Sometimes it is so bright, it can cast shadows on the ground.
Next, is Uranus. It floats in the sky just below the ability of most people to see with their unaided eyes. A good pair of binoculars will bring it into focus, but a telescope right now will be your best bet to pick out its small blue-green orb.
Jupiter is easy to spot. It is also high in the sky right now after sunset. It is a yellow-looking “star.” While you won’t need binoculars or a telescope to see the planet, a small telescope will reveal four of Jupiter’s moons as crisp, bright points of light. Watch them dance around the planet over several nights of viewing.
Mars comes next, and it is also high in the sky at sunset. Its ruddy-red look hovers with the stars of Pollux and Castor in the constellation Gemini, creating a pleasing triangle in the sky.
The usual clouds of the Pacific Northwest will be pulled back this week to reveal the celestial stage upon which this planet parade will play out.
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February planetary alignment: Skywatchers will be treated to a celestial event Friday
Skywatchers will get a cosmic treat this week with a celestial gathering of planets.
A planetary alignment, or a “planet parade,” according to the internet, will grace our night sky just after dusk, according to SkyatNightMagazine. You can expect to see seven planets align Friday when Mercury joins Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus and Saturn.
But not all of them will be easy to see, especially with the naked eye. You’ll need a good pair of high-powered binoculars or a telescope to see Uranus and Neptune.
Regardless of how you’re viewing them, the hardest planets to see will be Saturn and Neptune because they are close to the horizon and the sun, according to StarWalk. If you can see them, they’ll be toward the west just after the sun sets. The time will vary based on your location. Mercury also should be visible in the western part of the sky just after sunset.
You’ll have the best chance of viewing the alignment if you can find a location free of light pollution and a view of the horizon free of obstructions like trees or tall buildings.
Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.
More:There’s still time to see the ‘planet parade’ that began in January: Here’s what’s visible
It’s not especially remarkable for a few planets to line up in the sky, but when we see four or five brilliant planets at once, it’s less common, according to NASA.
The planets orbit the sun continuously in the solar system, so at times, they slowly catch up to one another. Because they travel along the same path, or ecliptic, as they pass Earth, it appears they are aligned. The alignment formation, however, is short-lived because planets move at different speeds.
With eight planets in our solar system, which includes Earth, they all have some very interesting traits. Here’s a quick look at the planets aligning this month:
According to Starwalk, skywatchers can look forward to more planetary alignments in 2025-2026:
CONTRIBUTING Jim Sergent
SOURCE EarthSky.org, BBC SkyatNightMagazine.com, SkyWalk.space and NASA
