In the southwestern sky, Venus shines the brightest and is easy to spot. Saturn can be seen below Venus, but as the days progress, the other visible planets become harder to spot, sinking lower in the sky each day after sunset. Jupiter can be found in the southern part of the evening sky, while Mars appears in the eastern sky. Mercury should also be visible to the naked eye, but it is challenging to find due to its proximity to the sun.
By February 24th, mercury will be further from the sun, making it easier to spot after sunset near Saturn in the western sky.
For skywatchers with binoculars and telescopes, Uranus and Neptune can also be spotted with dedication, patience, and a Starchart, according to Faherty.
NASA refers to this event as the “Planet Parade,” where multiple bright planets are visible simultaneously overhead. This phenomenon occurs when all planets in our solar system orbit the sun on relatively flat disc-shaped planes, akin to cars on a racetrack. Each planet orbits the sun at different rates, resulting in them lining up in the sky at different points, like cars on a track.
The planetary parade will continue until February, with more opportunities to view multiple bright planets in the sky in the months and years ahead, including instances of four planets lining up before sunrise in late August, five planets before sunrise in October 2028, and five planets after sunset in February 2034.
Faherty sees this event as a great educational opportunity for newcomers to explore the universe in an engaging way, as the sky is always changing and full of surprises.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
