On the last day of February, something very special will happen in the night sky. Seven planets will appear to line up in what is known as a planetary parade. This is a rare event that does not happen often, and the next time we will see it again will be in the year 2040. Many people around the world are excited to witness this beautiful sight in the sky.
A planetary parade occurs when multiple planets appear to form a straight line from Earth’s point of view. This happens because all the planets in our solar system orbit the Sun in almost the same flat plane. As they move at different speeds and distances, there are times when they appear to line up perfectly from Earth. These moments are not very common, especially when more than five planets are involved.
According to Dr. Greg Brown, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, a planetary parade is a time when several planets can be seen at once in the sky. He explained that the beauty of the event depends on how many planets are in it and how visible they are. Some planets are bright and easy to see, while others are faint and require special equipment like telescopes or binoculars.
This particular planetary parade will include Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. However, not all of them will be equally easy to spot. The three brightest planets—Venus, Jupiter, and Mars—will be clearly visible to the naked eye. But Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune will be much harder to see, especially because they will be low on the horizon during early evening hours. Uranus, like Neptune, is very faint and will only be visible if someone uses a telescope or binoculars.
NASA has said that seeing four or five planets in a straight line is not too rare. This happens every few years, and people can often witness such events if they know where and when to look. However, a seven-planet alignment is much more unusual because it requires everything to be perfectly positioned.
A similar planetary parade happened in June last year, but during that time, only two planets were clearly visible without special equipment. Another alignment took place in January, when six planets were in position, but only four could be seen with the naked eye. This time, Mercury is joining the lineup, making it a full seven-planet alignment.
The best time to view this event will be shortly after sunset. The planets will be positioned above the western horizon, so people should look in that direction to spot them. In the United Kingdom, experts suggest heading outside just after the Sun goes down for the best chance to see the alignment. The same advice is given to people in Australia and the United States, where the planets will be visible after sunset in the northern and western skies.
To get the best view of this planetary parade, experts recommend staying away from bright lights. City lights can make it harder to see faint planets, so it is best to go to a dark area where the sky is clear. Using stargazing apps can also help people locate the planets and understand where to look in the sky.
Dr. Shyam Balaji, a researcher in astroparticle physics and cosmology at King’s College London, explained that planetary alignments happen because the planets in our solar system orbit the Sun within nearly the same plane, called the ecliptic plane. He said that as the planets move at different speeds and distances from the Sun, there are certain times when they appear to align from Earth’s perspective.
For those using telescopes, there are some interesting things to observe. Jupiter’s moons can be spotted with a good telescope, and Venus might appear like a tiny crescent moon because of the way its surface is illuminated. These small details make planetary viewing even more exciting for those who enjoy studying the night sky.
