On the last day of February, a rare planetary alignment will occur in the sky. Seven planets will line up simultaneously, an event that won't be observed again until 2040. Dr. Greg Brown, an astronomer at the Greenwich Observatory, noted that such alignments are rare, stating, "A planetary transit is when multiple planets appear in the sky at the same time. However, how impressive it is depends on how many planets align and how easily they can be seen."
According to NASA, while alignments with four or five visible planets occur every few years, seeing seven planets at once is much rarer.
Which planets will be visible? This week, all seven planets are theoretically visible in the sky, but not all will be easy to spot. Dr. Brown explained, "Mercury, Neptune, and Saturn will be very close to the horizon in the evening, and Neptune and Saturn, in particular, will be among the most difficult planets to observe at twilight. Uranus, like Neptune, will appear quite faint, making it nearly impossible to spot without binoculars or a telescope."
In contrast, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars will be easily visible to the naked eye.
How do planetary alignments happen? Dr. Shyam Balaji, an astroparticle physicist and cosmologist at King's College London, explained, "These events occur because the planets in our Solar System orbit in roughly the same plane, known as the ecliptic plane. Since planets move at different speeds and distances, they sometimes appear aligned when viewed from Earth."
When and where is the best time to observe it? To best observe this rare event, it's ideal to be in a region with clear skies. Additionally, using a telescope, it will be possible to observe Jupiter's moons or the crescent-shaped illuminated surface of Venus.
The planets will slowly disappear from the sky as the spring months progress.
