Planetary Parade: Rare celestial event unfolds as seven planets align; next visible in…

Skygazers across the globe were treated to a rare cosmic phenomenon that unfolded in the night sky on Friday as seven planets became visible simultaneously. The celestial event, known as a planetary parade, had Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, and Saturn aligned in one line across the night sky.

What is the planetary parade and why was it so special?

The alignment of the seven planets in a near-straight line across the sky was unique because they were all visible simultaneously for a few minutes after sunset yesterday, lending the event its unique name of a planetary parade.

Among the seven planets, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars were visible to the naked eye, with Venus and Jupiter shining the brightest. The other three planets, namely Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn, were only visible through telescopes.

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Why does the planetary parade happen?

All planets in our solar system orbit around the Sun, but each has a unique trajectory and distance. When these planets reach specific positions, they appear to align in a straight line from Earth's perspective, a phenomenon known as a planetary parade.

When will be the next planetary parade?

The next planetary parade will not be seen again before 2040. Since the planets follow a specific orbit around the sun, they drift away from each other’s sight. For all of them to appear again in a roughly straight line, their orbits need to align and this has been calculated to be impossible before 2040.

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Can you still see the planets today?

Despite the planetary parade event being best visible on February 28, one can still spot the seven planets in the night sky. While they may not be in as straight a line as yesterday or be visible around the exact same time, skygazers can still spot most of them with the help of binoculars and telescopes, although the visibility of Neptune may not be up to mark.