For a few fleeting minutes on Friday, all seven of the other planets in our solar system will be in our night sky.
According to the Navy's Astronomical Applications Department, all seven planets will be above the horizon when the sun sets Friday evening. Of the seven planets in the night sky, five can be seen with the naked eye.
The times below are a rough estimation for viewers in the U.S. and are dependent on your latitude. Here is a breakdown of where to look:
Mercury: Because of its proximity to the sun, Mercury is always going to be near the sun in the sky. On Friday, Mercury will remain above the horizon for about 40 minutes after the sun sets, so be sure to look in the western sky just after the sun goes down.
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Venus: Like Mercury, Venus normally also doesn't stray too far from the sun in our sky as you will tend not to see Venus in the sky late in the evening. On Friday, Venus sets about two hours after sunset, and will be incredibly bright in the western sky shortly after sunset.
Mars: The Red Planet will be among the brightest objects in the eastern sky at sunset. The planet will remain high in the sky throughout the evening.
Jupiter: The largest planet in the solar system will be very high in the southern sky at sunset, and will move to the west as the evening progresses. Jupiter will stand out for being one of the brightest objects in the sky.
Saturn: The ringed planet might be a little tricky to see, as it will also be setting around the time the sun sets, and will be near Mercury in the night sky. Look for it low in the western sky as the sun sets. The window to see Saturn will be limited, as it will be the first planet to set.
Uranus: Uranus will be moving into the southwestern sky once the sun sets, but given its distance from Earth, you will need a good pair of binoculars or a telescope to view it.
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Neptune: Neptune will be just to the left of Mercury in the night sky. Given it is the farthest planet from Earth, it is also the most difficult to see. Your best chance to see Neptune is with a powerful telescope.
What makes this rare
Being able to view all five of the visible planets at once only happens a few times a decade. The next time Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will all be in the night sky at the same time will be October 2028. This instance won't happen again until August 2034.
“The planetary alignment is better described as a ‘planetary parade.’ The planets can always be found on a path through the sky called the ecliptic, but this path actually goes 360 degrees around the Earth. The planets are often spread all the way around on that circle due to their separate motions. This February is special because instead of being spaced far apart, they happen to be found along just a part of the path, so they all show up in the sky at the same time," said Seth Jacobson, an assistant professor with Michigan State University's College of Natural Science.
If you are unable to get out on Friday, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter will still be visible after sunset this weekend, but Saturn will be too close to the sun to view.
To enhance your viewing experience, it’s best to travel somewhere away from city lights, which will help provide better contrast between the planets and the sky. This writer also encourages you to bring a pair of binoculars. While you might need a telescope to see the rings of Saturn, binoculars will help you see the planets' colors and potentially the moons of Jupiter.
