February is ending with another stellar celestial event: a planetary parade. This time, every other planet in our solar system is participating.
A parade of planets happens when planets are positioned in a way that makes an arch across the sky, as seen from the surface of Earth. At sunset Friday, all seven planets will be arching across the sky in an alignment that won’t happen again for another 144 years.
“The only planet that’s missing is Earth, and you can just look down for that one,” said Max Gilbraith, planetarium coordinator for the University of Wyoming.
West To South
The seven-planet parade begins at sunset Friday, with three planets — Saturn, Mercury and Neptune — clustered near the western horizon right as the sun disappears.
“We might get just a sliver of the moon at sunset on Friday,” Gilbraith said. “Mercury will be just above that, and Neptune just above Mercury.”
Venus will be higher in the sky, hanging around in the constellation Pisces. Uranus will be higher and further south, appearing between the back legs of the constellation Aries the Ram.
Jupiter will be almost directly south in the mouth of Taurus the Bull. Finally, Mars, the highest planet in the sky in the constellation Gemini, will bring up the rear.
The seven planets will all appear on the western side of the setting sun in a nearly perfect arch across the sky. Anyone who wants a look will want to grab it since they won’t have another chance in their lifetimes.
A Century And A Half
Planet parades are relatively common, with the last occurring Jan. 24 and 25. However, this alignment ofseven planets only happens once in several generations.
Gilbraith said this “great alignment” — one with all other planets in the solar system — is the most rare. Mercury missed January’s planet parade, a “large alignment” with six planets.
“It’s relatively rare to get all of them one side of the sky, even in this compact of a formation,” he said.
The rarity of the event means it has special significance in cultures worldwide.
Gilbraith referenced the 2025 Prayag Kumbh Mela, a spiritual pilgrimage in India celebrated every six to 12 years based on Jupiter's orbital period. To mark the occasion, a gathering in the Indian city of Prayagraj became the largest peaceful gathering in world history, with more than 76 million people celebrating in a single day.
“Four hundred million people across India have been participating in this religious ceremony since January,” Gilbraith said, “and it’ll culminate on Feb. 28 when all seven planets are lined up on one side of the sun.”
What Wyomingites Will See
While Friday’s planet parade is rare and incredible, Wyomingites should temper their expectations. Gilbraith said the timing and visibility issues would make it tricky for anyone but the most experienced amateur astronomers to see all seven plants.
“You can go out each evening this week and catch all the planets, except Mercury, right after sunset,” he said. “Mercury won’t come out until Friday evening.”
Sunset on Friday will occur between 5:45 p.m. in southern Wyoming and 6:03 p.m. in Northern Wyoming. When it does, Saturn will be very close to the horizon, with plenty of sunlight left in the sky.
Gilbraith said anyone watching from a mountain would have an easier time with the height advance, but it could still be a struggle. Most professional astronomers might not even attempt to see Saturn or Mercury that evening.
“With sunset and all the mountains and clouds we’ve got in Wyoming, we would rarely attempt to view anything within a few degrees above the horizon,” he said. “We know they’re there, but it’s a bit of an exercise in futility.”
Meanwhile, Uranus and Neptune are always difficult to spot without a high-powered telescope. A pair of binoculars might be enough for a good view of Uranus, but Neptune will be even harder to spot since it’ll also be close to the horizon at sunset.
“Uranus was discovered with relatively primitive telescopes 200 years ago,” he said. “You can maybe catch Uranus if you have decent equipment, but it’ll be a struggle to get Neptune.”
Venus and Jupiter will be bold and bright that night, and Mars won’t be difficult to spot at the far end of the arch. And with a new moon on Feb. 27, there will be hardly any moonlight to obscure the view.
"It's a rare chance to see so much of our solar system in a single view," Gilbraith said.
Pi Day Friday Blood Moon
The Friday parade of planets will be the astronomical event February, and March looks even more spectacular.
What Gilbraith and all space enthusiasts are most excited about is the total lunar eclipse on the night of Friday, March 14. The spectacular blood moon will be visible across North America as the moon moves into the Earth’s shadow.
“That’ll be the Pi Day eclipse,” Gilbraith said. “That one’s really exciting since we’ll see the entire eclipse from Wyoming, so hope for clear skies that night.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
