Mother Nature is truly blessing us this week, and we’re not just talking about these spring-esque temperatures! This Friday, February 28th, a very rare treat will grace Earth’s night skies: a rare 7 planet alignment, or a parade of planets, and it’s the last time it’ll happen until 2040 so you certainly won’t want to miss it!
Here’s everything you need to know:
What is a planetary alignment?
Planetary alignments are stunning celestial events that occur when several bright planets gather closely on one side of the sun and can be seen simultaneously, compared to just one planet on typical nights. Also called planet parades, any number of planets from three to seven visible at once constitutes an alignment. Note that this phenomenon is technically an illusion as the planets aren’t truly aligned but just appear so from their respective orbits.
There are four kinds of planetary alignments:
- Mini planetary alignment – 3 planets aligned
- Small planetary alignment – 4 planets aligned
- Large planetary alignment – 5 or 6 planets aligned
- Great (full) planetary alignment – all Solar System planets aligned (+ Pluto sometimes)
What makes these celestial events so special is that no special equipment is needed to enjoy them–they can (mostly) be seen with the naked eye!
What is a 7 planet alignment?
A 7 planet alignment is the same thing as a great (or full) planetary alignment–it occurs when all seven planets can be seen at once.
How rare is a 7 planet alignment?
While it’s not uncommon for a few planets to be on the same side of the Sun at the same time, it’s less common for most, let alone all of the planets to align. This makes 7 planet alignments incredibly rare.
Are planet parades single-day events?
Nope! According to NASA planets move too slowly for planet parades to be single-day events. “Generally, multi-planet viewing opportunities last for weeks to a month or more. Even five-planet events last for several days,” it writes.
Can planetary alignments affect us?
It seems as if it depends who you ask!
Space.com write that though humans have linked planetary alignments to major Earth-based events like natural disasters for millennia, there’s no correlation, and they don’t have any major physical effect on Earth. Gerard van Belle, Lowell Observatory’s director of science, told Space.com, “The gravitational forces between the planets, including Earth, are negligible. The only noteworthy effect is the moon’s effect upon the tides.”
On the other hand, some scientists hypothesize that planetary alignments can impact solar activity. And we all love to talk about how Mercury being in retrograde affects our mood, so who knows–maybe planetary alignments do affect us!
When will February’s rare 7 planet alignment occur?
Friday, February 28th will be the best day to observe this phenomenon, though not the only one. The alignment will be visible several days before and afterwards.
How to see February’s rare 7 planet alignment that won’t happen again until 2040:
We all know how much NYC’s light pollution gets in the way of astronomical events, and tall buildings can obstruct your view, so New Yorkers will want to either find a dark, open space–such as a park or beach–or head out onto a rooftop for the best chance to see the rare 7 planet alignment.
Do note that while four of the planets–Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars–will be easily visible to the naked eye, you’ll want a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to see Uranus and Neptune. Saturn will be the most difficult planet to see, so you’ll need to know the exact time for your exact location as the planet hangs close to the Sun.
For the best chance of seeing the event, you may want to check out the Sky Tonight app, which can help you locate all the planets in the alignment by pointing your phone up to the night sky.
When & where will each planet be visible in NYC?
The best time to view the planetary alignment will be after sunset, which for NYC will be at 5:46 pm on February 28th. Starwalk.space writes the following:
- Mars – highest in the sky, Mars will be visible high above the southern horizon in the constellation Gemini
- Jupiter – the second brightest planet, Jupiter will be a little lower in the constellation Taurus
- Uranus – visible in the constellation Aries, near the border of Taurus (theoretically, it can be seen with the naked eye, but it requires a perfectly dark, clear sky, so binoculars may be needed)
- Venus – the brightest planet in our sky, you’ll find Venus closer to the western horizon, in the constellation Pisces
- Neptune – the faintest planet, Neptune will also be visible in Pisces, though with a powerful pair of binoculars
- Mercury – closer to the horizon, Mercury will be visible in the constellation Aquarius
- Saturn – the most difficult planet to see in this alignment, Saturn will be visible in Aquarius
What planets will be visible in the planetary alignment on February 28th, 2025?
You’ll be able to see all seven planets during this planetary alignment–Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars will all line up in a neat row.
When was the last time 7 planets aligned?
The last time the seven planets aligned was on April 8th, 2024, during the total solar eclipse.
When will the next rare 7 planet alignment occur?
This will be the last time our skies are graced with a rare 7 planet alignment until 2040.
Happy planet gazing!