Step outside this week after sunset and you might just see a rare “planetary parade” in the night sky.
Seven planets will be visible on Feb. 23-28. While seeing planets like Mars, Jupiter and Saturn isn’t uncommon, it’s a rare treat for stargazers to see Mercury, Venus, Uranus and Neptune alongside them.
Michigan State University experts are available to explain this celestial phenomenon and offer context.
Shannon Schmoll is the director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University. She is an expert on basic astronomy, naked-eye astronomy, constellations, eclipses and the night sky.
Contact: schmolls@msu.edu
“All of our planets go around the sun in a flat disk. From our perspective on Earth, that disk looks like a curved line across the sky stretching from east to the west. As a result, all our planets will always be seen along this line. When we have multiple planets visible, that line can look quite spectacular.
“On Feb. 23-28 we will, for a short time after sunset, have all the planets above the horizon. That doesn’t mean they will be easy to spot though! Mercury and Saturn are particularly close to the sun and will be lost in the sun’s glare, though Mercury will get higher and higher each day and easier to spot. To have a chance, you will need a clear view of the western horizon and maybe binoculars to spot them after the sun sets.
“Neptune and Uranus are not naked eye-visible and take some practice to locate with telescopes or binoculars. However, Venus and Jupiter will be incredibly bright and easy to spot, and Mars is always special with its easy-to-see orange hue.
“It is quite special to have all the planets above the horizon at once. The ecliptic line will help guide where to find them, but most will not be easy to spot. But it is always worth going out to look and say hi to our solar system family members.”
Seth Jacobson is an assistant professor in the College of Natural Science’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. He is a planetary scientist who studies our solar system and other planetary systems. His research is driven by questions like “Where did we come from?” and “What else is out there?”
Contact: seth@msu.edu
“The planetary alignment is better described as a ‘planetary parade.’ The planets can always be found on a path through the sky called the ecliptic, but this path actually goes 360 degrees around the Earth. The planets are often spread all the way around on that circle due to their separate motions. This February is special because instead of being spaced far apart, they happen to be found along just a part of the path, so they all show up in the sky at the same time.”
Joey Rodriguez is an assistant professor in the MSU physics and astronomy department. His research focuses on understanding how planets form and evolve by studying circumstellar disks and exoplanets.
Contact: jrod@msu.edu
“Astronomical events like the planetary alignment provide people the opportunity to think more deeply about the universe around them. Fueling this curiosity directly leads to a better understanding of scientific concepts.”
Darryl Seligman is a postdoctoral fellow in the MSU Department of Physics and Astronomy who is set to become a faculty member this August. He is also the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group secretary and a member of the Rubin Observatory Users Committee. He primarily studies theoretical and computational planetary science and astrophysics.
Contact: dzs@msu.edu
“It’s kind of an amazing fact that all the planets rotate around the sun on a very flat plane, like a disc. All of their orbits have low inclinations. The fact that they will follow the same line in the sky is an artifact of that. Some other solar systems in space have planets that are not aligned. Whether or not that makes our solar system special, that’s for you to decide, but it’s certainly unique.”