Planetary paradeA rare sight: all solar system planets to be visible in evening sky this Friday

Eight planets orbit the Sun. We live on one, while the other seven can often be seen at night. For all seven – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune – to align and be visible together in the sky is extremely rare. This phenomenon only occurs once every few decades and is often referred to as a ‘planetary parade’ in popular terms.

Why can we see all seven planets together?

This year, the special alignment will be visible from Earth, best observed on the evening of 28 February. The reason for this is that the planets are positioned on the same side of the Sun when viewed from Earth. This alignment brings the planets closer to our planet, allowing them to reflect more sunlight towards us.

Where are the planets positioned?

Four of the planets – Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars – are visible to the naked eye. For Uranus and Neptune, it is best to use binoculars or a small telescope. Saturn is the most difficult to see, so the exact time and location from which you wish to observe it is important.

The planets’ positions are as follows:

• Mars is the highest, positioned above the southern horizon in the constellation Gemini.
• Jupiter, the second-brightest planet, is slightly lower in the constellation Taurus.
• Uranus is located in the constellation Aries, not far from Taurus. Although it can be seen with the naked eye, this requires a completely dark and clear sky.
• Venus, the brightest planet, is located to the west on the horizon in the constellation Pisces.
• Neptune, the faintest planet, is also in Pisces. A telescope is required to view it.
• Mercury is located near the horizon in the constellation Aquarius.
• Saturn, also in Aquarius, is typically easy to see, but this time it is positioned very close to the Sun. Additionally, it sets early, so the time window to observe it is very small.

© RTL Grafik

Where is the best place to view the planets?

Even from Luxembourg, this rare alignment is visible, as confirmed by amateur astronomers in the country. The best view is early in the evening from a location free from obstructions, with a clear, dark sky and an unobstructed view to the south and west. However, good weather is also required, which, according to forecasts, may not be the case this Friday evening.

Meteorologist Luca Mathias from MeteoLux confirms, “It looks like the sky will not be completely clear, but rather slightly cloudy, with heavier clouds possibly over the Éislek region.”

If the planetary parade is not visible due to the weather, you can look out for it again on 10 August, when a similar planetary alignment will be visible in the morning sky.

If you capture photos of the planetary alignment this evening, feel free to send them to us via email at foto@rtl.lu. A gallery of the photos will be published on Saturday.