On February 28, Ukrainians will witness a rare astronomical phenomenon – a large parade of planets. Such a phenomenon happens extremely rarely, sometimes only once a century. About this informs NBC News.
On February 28, seven planets of the solar system will appear in the sky at the same time: Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars. Scientists call this a large planetary phenomenon because of the extreme rarity of the simultaneous appearance of so many celestial bodies.
This is already the second such parade at the beginning of 2025. The previous one took place on January 21, when Mars, Uranus, Jupiter, Venus, Neptune and Saturn lined up in one line. Small parades of planets, including 3-4 celestial bodies, are more common. However, the appearance of seven planets at once is an extremely rare phenomenon.
It is worth noting that the planets do not actually line up in a perfect row, but from the Earth this impression is created due to their movement along the ecliptic – the plane along which all the planets revolve around the Sun. Some orbits may be slightly higher or lower, but occasionally they end up on the same side of the Sun, creating an alignment effect.
The best time for observation is the evening of February 28, after sunset. The optimal location is away from city lights, such as the suburbs or an open area with a good view of the horizon.
The phenomenon will be visible only if the sky is clear. Most of the planets can be seen with the naked eye, but Neptune and Uranus require binoculars or a telescope. One important feature will help distinguish planets from stars – they do not twinkle, but reflect the Sun’s light evenly.
