During the month of February, it's theoretically possible to see six planets in the sky. And on 28 February, they will be closest together in what's called a planetary parade.
But how many planets can we actually see?
"If there were a solar eclipse right now, the entire parade would be visible in the sky," says Tor Einar Aslesen of the Norwegian Astronomical Society.
Since there isn’t one, seeing most of these planets will require some effort.
This is how the sky would have appeared at 2:30pm on Saturday, 28 February, if Earth had no atmosphere.(Screenshot: Stellarium)
The planets gather
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How many planets we can see in the sky at any given time depends on where they are in their journey around the Sun.
"You can imagine the planets spread out in different places within a slightly thick pancake," explains Aslesen.
The Sun sits at the centre, and each planet follows its own orbit around it. Even though they remain in their respective paths, they are often out of sync with one another.
At those times, only a few planets are visible in the sky.
"The planets can be spread across the entire pancake. But sometimes they gather in the same place," he says.
That's when we get a planetary parade.
Tor Einar Aslesen.(Photo: Norwegian Astronomical Society)
"Probably hyped up quite a bit"
On 28 February, the planets will be closest together in this parade. In the middle of the day, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Mercury, Venus, and Mars will line up.
"This planetary parade is probably being hyped up quite a bit," Pål Brekke, lead researcher at the Norwegian Space Agency, writes to Science Norway.
Unlike the planetary parade in 2025, not all the planets will appear neatly aligned like beads on a string.
The problem is that when the Sun sets, several of the planets also disappear below the horizon.
"The timing isn't ideal, since some of the planets are very close to the Sun and are only visible for a very short time just after sunset," explains Brekke.
Pål Brekke.(Photo: Norwegian Space Agency)
This is how you can see five of the planets
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But with a bit of planning and some luck, it's still possible to see several of the planets, according to Tor Einar Aslesen.
He offers the following advice:
Use a star chart to understand where in the sky you should look. There are several apps you can use.
Jupiter is visible in the night sky with the naked eye.
Saturn and Mercury can be seen without equipment shortly after sunset. But the sky must be clear and the horizon unobstructed. Mercury is the hardest to see because it often disappears in the sunlight.
Neptune and Uranus can be seen with binoculars.
Mars, on the other hand, disappears below the horizon before the Sun sets. You therefore won't get to see the red planet on this occasion.
Saturn and Mercury may be visible near the horizon right where the Sun sets on 28 February.(Edited screenshot: Stellarium)
