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This weekend offers an exciting opportunity for skywatchers to observe six planets appearing close together in the evening sky, weather permitting. Shortly after sunset, these planets will align in what is often referred to as a planetary parade. While Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter are visible without any aid, viewing Uranus and Neptune will likely require binoculars or a telescope.
For those in the UK, Sunday presents the best chance to catch this celestial event. Observers are advised to find a location with an unobstructed view of the western horizon to spot the planets most clearly, especially the ones that will be positioned low in the sky. The alignment means that, from Earth’s perspective, these planets will be tracing a similar path across the sky after the sun has set.
A planetary parade happens when several planets appear lined up from our viewpoint on Earth, though they are not truly aligned in a straight line in space. Dr Becky Smethurst, a Royal Astronomical Society Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, explains this phenomenon by comparing it to a spinning, flattened pizza dough: “That’s what happened to the gas cloud around the Sun that ended up forming the planets, and why they’re all in the same flat plane.” She adds, “When we look up at the night sky, all the solar system objects take roughly the same path … they’re not all lining up in a row in their orbits, they’re just sort of on the same side of the solar system right now.”
Early evening viewers should spot Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Neptune low in the western sky, with Uranus positioned higher in the constellation Taurus and remaining visible until around midnight. Jupiter will be the brightest and easiest planet to find, shining prominently in Gemini and staying visible for much of the evening, even in areas affected by light pollution. While witnessing six planets simultaneously is unusual, a full seven-planet parade, last seen in February 2025, is much rarer. The closest gathering happens around 28 February, though exact best viewing times vary by location. Jess Lee, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, highlights the excitement of such alignments, saying, “A planetary alignment like this can be particularly exciting as it gives you the opportunity to see various worlds during one evening.”
Preparation is key to enhancing the stargazing experience. Dr Smethurst recommends allowing your eyes to adjust to the dark before heading outdoors, suggesting a few minutes spent inside a dimly lit room to help you spot fainter celestial objects immediately. Ensuring comfort by sitting or lying down and dressing warmly is also important, especially on cold nights. Additionally, for those using phone apps to locate planets, activating the red light mode preserves night vision better than brighter white lights. If you miss the peak days of this parade, some of the planets will remain visible for a while; Mercury will disappear in early March, but Venus and Saturn will be close together in the sky on 7 and 8 March, making them easier to spot.
Weather forecasts indicate mixed conditions across the UK. On Friday night, clearer skies are expected mainly over Scotland and Northern Ireland, with cloud and some rain elsewhere. Saturday night looks most promising for England and Wales, before cloud cover begins to increase from the north and west. By Sunday night, clear skies will be limited mostly to eastern and southern England, potentially restricting visibility for the planetary parade
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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