Why is this event so rare?
Due to the different sizes of orbit and speed of the planets, a line created by all of them is quite rare. The next time this celestial show will happen is not before 2040. An alignment of four or five planets is less rare. The next five planets’ alignment is to happen in late October 2028, and the next four planets’ one is going to be in late August 2025.
Where is the best view?
The planet alignment will be visible in the skies of India, in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and many other cities in India. People in the UK will also be able to see it.
Where will be the planets in the sky?
For the UK, “Mars will appear in the east, Jupiter and Uranus in the southeast, and Venus, Neptune, and Saturn in the west,”. That’s what Dr Christopher Barnes confirmed. For Mercury, it will appear later just above the horizon to complete the line on February 28th.
In India, it will be slightly different:
-Mercury will be seen in the west-southwest during a short moment right after sunset.
-Venus will be visible after sunset in the western.
-Mars will appear in the southern sky at a high altitude.
-Jupiter will be in the southwest being shiny.
-Saturn will show near the Sun.
-Uranus could be seen with the naked eye if there’s no light pollution and will be located under the Pleiades star cluster.
-Neptune will require a telescope to be viewed.
Tips to have the best view of the 7 planets.
The best time to see the Planetary Parade is around 45 minutes after sunset when the stars begin to show.
To improve your vision of the celestial objects, it is better to go at a dark place with no light pollution. Even though most of the planets will be visible, Uranus and Neptune will need binoculars or a telescope to be seen. It is also recommended to check the weather announced to avoid clouds or other weather that can block the view.
Then, you should be patient to adjust your eyes to the darkness so that you can eventually see more stars. An astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich named Dr Edward Bloomer said, “If you just pop out of your kitchen into your back garden, you will take time to adjust to the light levels. Give it a bit of time—your eyes take about half an hour to fully adjust.”
