A rare “planet parade” takes place this evening – there are tips here to get the best view

A rare sky event will be aligned with the astronomers as a “planetary parade” on Friday, February 28, the night sky as seven planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. While some of these planets are easy to recognize, other ideal conditions and optical aids need. This marks one of the last such orientations by 2028 and makes it a must for Skywatchers.

What is a “planet parade”?

Planetary orientations occur when several planets gather on one side of the sun and occur from the earth's point of view in an almost in a row. While some planetary groups take place every few years, complete orientations with up to seven planets are rare.

According to Space.com, “Most planets will be visible to the undivided eye, but they need a good telescope to see the full show.” This unique phenomenon results from the planets of the planets around the sun, which is aligned in such a way that they appear together in the night sky of the earth.

Why is it important

This planetary orientation offers both occasional observers and experienced astronomers a rare opportunity to experience an extraordinary event. Such occurrences enable scientists to study planetary positions, while enthusiasts have the unique opportunity to observe several celestial bodies at the same time. According to Space.com, it is not uncommon to see several planets at the same time, but to see all seven at the same time can only be seen in 2040.

When will the planets be organized tonight?

The best time to see the planetary parade is shortly after sunset. However, Mercury and Saturn are low on the horizon and could run out of view of the sun, which makes it difficult to see them without binoculars Cnn.

“Mercury and Saturn are particularly close to the sun and will be lost in the glare of the sun, although Mercury is increasingly and easier to recognize every day” Cnn.

Venus and Jupiter will be the easiest to find due to their brightness, while Mars will appear as a reddish-in-colored point in the sky. Uranus and Neptune are the most difficult to observe and need a telescope or high-performance ruined glass.

This evening you will receive the best view of the planetary orientation this evening

Astronomers recommend looking towards the southwest sky for about 30 minutes after sunset. “Saturn and mercury will be towards the southwest, and then Mars and Jupiter will be towards the southeast, and then Neptune, Venus and Uranus will be in between” Cnn.

Elizondo recommended the use of apps that use movement recipient technology with which a planet is in the sky. Other tools such as binoculars and a telescope can help make the view more clearly.

Marcy Curran, editor at Earthsky, was advised in a YouTube video that Skywatchers Venus should use as a guide. “Let Bright Venus be your leader, it will appear first because it is higher in the sky, it is obviously brighter,” said Curran. “As soon as you have found Venus, look for the horizon for a thin little moon and mercury.”

“Uranus and Neptune are of course there, but they need optical help to see them, and they will probably not catch Jupiter and Mars, who are higher in the sky until at least the darkness begins to fall.”

When bad weather hides the view, the virtual telescopic project offers a live current of the event from telescopes in Tuscany, Italy. Space.com reports that the webcast starts at 12:00 p.m. and contains professional comments from astronomers.

In order to maximize the experience, astronomers recommend finding a dark location outside the urban lights and dressing warmly. The less light pollution has an area, the better.

What people say

Dr. Edward Bloomer, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told The The The The BBC: “You really only have a few minutes after sunset to catch them before falling under the horizon,” said Dr. Edward Bloomer, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, to the BBC. “After that, you can clearly see Venus, Jupiter and Mars for a long time.”

Shannon Schmoll, director of Abram Planetarium at the Michigan State University, said in an explanation: “All of our planets go around the sun in a flat hard drive. From our point of view on the ground, this disc looks like a curved line over the sky that extends from east to west. As a result, all of our planets are always seen along this line. If we are visible several planets, this line can look quite spectacular.”

What's next

NASA predicts that future orientations vary in visibility and that the next easily visible main planetary orientation will take place in 2040.

For Skywatchers, today's event offers a rare opportunity to experience a cosmic spectacle that has been no longer visible for years.