Six planets will appear to line up in the sky at the end of February, with most visible to the naked eye in a rare celestial display known as a planetary parade.
The phenomenon occurs when multiple planets appear close together on one side of the sun. While they are not arranged in a perfectly straight line, they seem clustered from Earth’s perspective.
According to NASA, skywatchers can usually spot two or three planets after sunset. Groupings of four or five visible to the naked eye are less common and tend to happen every few years. Last year featured lineups of six and even all seven planets.
On Feb. 28, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible without special equipment, weather permitting. Uranus and Neptune, however, will require binoculars or telescopes to be seen.
Experts recommend heading outdoors about an hour after sunset and choosing a location away from tall buildings and trees that could obstruct the view. Observers should look toward the western sky, where Mercury, Venus and Saturn will appear near the horizon. Jupiter will be positioned higher in the sky, along with Uranus and Neptune.
Planetary scientist Sara Mazrouei of Humber Polytechnic in Canada offered a simple way to distinguish planets from stars: “If it’s twinkling, it’s a star. If it is not twinkling, it’s a planet.”
The planetary parade is expected to remain visible over the weekend and in the days that follow, before Mercury gradually dips below the horizon and disappears from view.
At least one bright planet can be seen on most nights, NASA noted.
Planetary scientist Emily Elizondo of Michigan State University said observing multiple planets at once offers a meaningful link to the past.
Ancient astronomers once sought to understand the universe “just by looking up at the stars and the planets,” Elizondo said, “which is something that we can do today.”
