Rare 6-planet parade lights up skies on February 28
What's the story
Skywatchers are in for a rare treat as six planets—Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter—will appear together in the evening sky this Saturday. The celestial event will be visible shortly after sunset when the planets will appear grouped from the perspective of an observer on Earth. NASA confirmed this extraordinary occurrence, saying, "On February 28, we will see not one, not two but six planets in the evening sky."
Viewing tips
Uranus, Neptune require optical assistance to spot
The planetary parade will be visible for several days, but four of the six planets—Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn—should be visible to the naked eye if weather permits. However, Uranus and Neptune will require optical assistance to spot them. NASA also cautioned that Mercury can sometimes be difficult to spot due to its position in the sky.
Identification guide
NASA planetary scientist shares tips to distinguish between planets, stars
Planetary scientist Sara Mazrouei from Humber College in Canada, shared a simple tip to distinguish between planets and stars. She said, "If it's twinkling, it's a star. If it is not twinkling, it's a planet." This will be particularly helpful for those trying to spot the six-planet alignment in the night sky.
Upcoming alignments
Another celestial event on June 8-9
After the six-planet alignment, skywatchers can look forward to another celestial event on June 8-9. Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets visible from Earth, will come extremely close together in a conjunction. The pair will appear separated by only about the width of a pinky finger held at arm's length, making it an easily observable event without any telescope.