A “planetary parade” is set to bring six of Earth’s neighbors into the night sky at once — but observing them won’t be easy.
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If you have a clear western horizon and clear skies on Saturday, February 28, you might be able to spot the two inner planets, Venus and Mercury, near Saturn, while Neptune, Uranus and Jupiter will also be in the sky, according to NASA.
The time frame for the planetary parade will be limited, as Venus, Mercury, Saturn and Neptune will only be visible for a short time after sunset. Venus, Mercury and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, although a pair of binoculars will help. Venus and Mercury will be low on the horizon at twilight, with Saturn higher up. Neptune will be very close to Saturn, but to see it clearly you will need a telescope of about 15 cm — and even then, it will be difficult to see in twilight. These four planets will appear about half an hour after sunset and will remain visible for about 45 minutes.
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After you've spotted Venus, Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune, look up south to find Jupiter in the constellation Gemini. It will be shining brightly, so it will be easy to spot. The three stars of Orion's Belt will be about halfway between the other four planets and Jupiter. The giant planet will appear as a steady, whitish light that doesn't flicker, like stars do.
The seventh planet, Uranus, will also be in the night sky, but you’ll need binoculars or a small telescope to see it. To find it, use Orion’s Belt again and follow its three stars — Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka — upward until you reach the bright open Pleiades star cluster, also known as the “Seven Sisters,” or M45. Uranus will be just below the Pleiades, in the constellation Taurus.
Additionally, on February 28, the Moon will also grace the sky near another famous star cluster. Illuminated by about 92%, the waxing and waning Moon will approach the NGC 2632 Cluster, a bright cluster of about 1,000 stars located about 577 light-years from our solar system.
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As the planetary parade winds down, a more spectacular event will take over: a total lunar eclipse on March 3, when the full moon — also known as the “Worm Moon” — will pass through Earth’s dark shadow. During the event, also known as a “blood moon,” the Moon’s surface will turn a reddish-bronze hue for about 58 minutes. The best views of the total eclipse will be from the western United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Australia, and East Asia.
