Seven planets line up in our night sky tonight, giving billions of people around the world a chance to see something rarely visible to humankind throughout our time on planet Earth.
Some of the planets will be visible with the naked eye, while some will require a telescope to view. The phenomenon will be visible to the Western part of the sky for most Americans.
NASA reported on their site about this alignment,
On most nights, weather permitting, you can spot at least one bright planet in the night sky. While two or three planets are commonly visible in the hours around sunset, occasionally four or five bright planets can be seen simultaneously with the naked eye. These events, often called “planet parades” or “planetary alignments,” can generate significant public interest. Though not exceedingly rare, they’re worth observing since they don’t happen every year.
The current four-planet lineup concludes by mid-February, as Saturn sinks increasingly lower in the sky each night after sunset. By mid-to-late February, Saturn appears less than 10 degrees above the horizon as sunset fades, making it difficult to observe for most people. While Mercury briefly joins Saturn in the post-sunset glow at the end of February, both planets will be too low and faint for most observers to spot.
What Planets Are Visible Tonight?
With the right pair of binoculars and a telescope, casual viewers will be able to view the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Put down the phone and enjoy the beauty, for once. The markets can wait.
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will reportedly be visible to viewers with the naked eye. A telescope will be necessary to see Uranus or Neptune.
We encourage our viewers to tag us in their posts of the night sky tonight!
What Time Do Planets Align Tonight?
The seven planets are set to be visible towards the western portion of the night sky tonight towards dusk, though the timing of the visibility really depends on your location.
This alignment only occurs once every few years, making tonight a unique opportunity for Americans to get a glimpse at the beautiful sight in the sky.
The planetary alignment will be visible until it is taken away by the morning sun.
Why Is It Called A Planetary Parade?
The term “parade” is used in this phrase only because the planets seem to “march” across the sky in an orderly fashion, similar to how people or floats line up in a parade.
The term has seen a step rise in use in both social media posts and Google searches recently, leading many to question why it is being used.
Why Are The Planets Aligned?
NASA offered an in-depth analysis as to why this phenomenon is occurring over the next several weeks. Their post reads,
“Planet parade” isn’t a technical term in astronomy, and “planetary alignment” can refer to several different phenomena. As the planets of our solar system orbit the Sun, they occasionally line up in space in events called oppositions and conjunctions. A planetary alignment can also refer to apparent lineups in our sky with other planets, the Moon, or bright stars.
When it comes to this second type of planetary alignment, it’s important to understand that planets always appear along a line or arc across the sky. This occurs because the planets orbit our Sun in a relatively flat, disc-shaped plane. From Earth, we’re looking into that solar system plane from within. We see the racetrack of the planets from the perspective of one of the racers ourselves. When viewed edge-on, this disc appears as a line, which we call the ecliptic or ecliptic plane.
So, while planet alignment itself isn’t unusual, what makes these events special is the opportunity to observe multiple planets simultaneously with the naked eye.
