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.
Where to view the planetary alignment
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
Is a planetary alignment unusual?
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.
Profiles of the planets
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:
When will the planets align again?
According to Starwalk, skywatchers can look forward to more planetary alignments in 2025-2026:
April 17 (four planets): Neptune, Mercury, Saturn and Venus.
(four planets): Neptune, Mercury, Saturn and Venus. Aug. 10 (six planets): Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn.
(six planets): Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn. Feb. 28, 2026 (six planets): Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter.
CONTRIBUTING Jim Sergent
SOURCE EarthSky.org, BBC SkyatNightMagazine.com, SkyWalk.space and NASA
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