People will be able to see a rare sight at the end of this month when all seven other planets in our solar system line up in the night sky. For the last few weeks six of the planets have been visible, some to the naked eye.
So far stargazers have been able to see Saturn, Venus, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars after dark. However in the last days of the month there will be an even more rare opportunity to see all seven of the planets when Mercury joins them in the great planetary parade.
According to Star Walk the alignment will take place on February 28, 2025. It says: “Don’t miss it — according to the classification, it will be a great one!
“In the evening, just after sunset, seven planets — Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars — will align in the sky. Four of them (Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars) will be easily visible to the naked eye.
“For Uranus and Neptune, get a pair of binoculars or a small telescope. Saturn will be the most difficult target to see — you’ll need to know the exact time for your exact location as the planet hangs close to the Sun.”
While February 28 is the date the alignment will be visible to most of the world but the perfect date could be different. Star Walk said In London this could be March 2.
How to see the planets
According to Andrew Fazekas writing in National Georgraphic the event can be seen the vast majority of the world’s population, wherever they are. He advised: “The most important advice to snag all seven worlds, especially Mercury in the last week of February, is to get a clear, unobstructed view of the low southwestern horizon 30 to 45 minutes after your local sunset.
“Get your views in now as the planetary party won’t last long. By mid March the planets will begin to disband, some becoming hidden by the sun’s glare while others enter the early morning sky.
“It’s amazing to think that when you look up at these planets, you’re peering into the vast expanse of our solar system. Each planet orbits the Sun at vastly different distances—Mercury sits about 36 million miles, while Neptune is at a stately 2.8 billion miles distant from our star. Yet here they are, all visible at once from our little perch on Earth.”