02/28/2026
This should be amazing.
A rare six-planet alignment graces the evening sky tomorrow, February 28, 2026.
Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter will all appear together in the western to southern sky shortly after sunset, creating what's popularly called a planetary parade.
About 30–60 minutes after local sunset (the prime window, roughly 30–45 minutes before the lowest planets set), start scanning low in the west. Venus stands out brilliantly at magnitude -3.8, impossible to miss. Jupiter, shining at -2.3, sits much higher in the south/southeast and is equally easy to spot with the naked eye.
Mercury (magnitude ~0 to +2) and Saturn (magnitude ~1) are fainter and closer to the horizon amid twilight glow—Mercury especially may need binoculars and a very clear, unobstructed western view to pick out. As the sky darkens further, Uranus (magnitude 5.7) becomes visible with good binoculars under dark skies, while Neptune (magnitude 7.8–8) typically demands at least a 6-inch (15 cm) telescope and excellent conditions to glimpse its faint blue disk.
This isn't a perfect straight-line formation in space—the planets simply share roughly the same orbital plane (the ecliptic), so when several gather on one side of the Sun from Earth's perspective, they appear strung along the same sky arc.
The viewing window is short and weather-dependent: clear skies, minimal light pollution, and an unobstructed horizon are key. Use a stargazing app to pinpoint positions for your location. Patience and perhaps some optics will reward you with a stunning lineup of six neighboring worlds in one twilight view—enjoy the cosmic spectacle.
