On February 28, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are set to align in a rare cosmic spectacle that only happens every few decades – and Brits are in with a chance of seeing it
A rare cosmic event is set to light up the night sky this week and Brits are in a great place to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are about to align and some of them will be visible to the naked eye. Those who usually keep their eyes on the heavens may have already seen the alignment of six of the planets at the end of January. But on February 28, Mercury is set to join the planetary party, offering astronomers the seven-planet spectacle, according to the Greenwich Royal Observatory.
NASA explains how the planets will occasionally line up in space, adding that “planetary alignment” is a term used to describe planets lining up with each other, or with the moon and bright stars.
They will always appear in a line or as an arc, NASA added. This is due to the way we see them from our vantage point on Earth. Dr Shyam Balaji, researcher in astroparticle physics and cosmology at King’s College London, said: “Planetary alignments, where multiple planets appear close together in the sky, occur periodically but are relatively rare.”
The alignment of six or more planets is even more rare, and only happens every few decades. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are often seen, but the appearance of Mercury and Venus makes this week’s event more special.
Depending on where you live in the UK, you could be in with a shot of seeing the planets. Weather forecasters for Sky News explained that there will be high pressure covering the UK on Friday, which means it will be a good night for stargazing.
While most places will be dry, the mercury will be low with frost expected to cover parts of the British Isles on Friday morning. People in Northern Ireland and northwest Scotland will have less of a chance of catching the spectacle as cloud is expected ahead of downpours on Friday night.
In addition to the planetary line up, there will also be a new moon making an appearance on February 28. This means the moon’s light pollution will be less of a problem on Friday, which may also give us the opportunity to see some galaxies.
Dr Balaji told Sky that to give yourself the best chance of seeing the planets you should get away from big cities and towns, use astronomical software to find their last known positions, and to check websites for updated viewing guidance. He added that stargazers should exercise caution when observing near sunrise or sunset.
