Six-Planet Night Sky Parade Graces February Evenings
Six planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mercury, Neptune and Uranus—will be visible at once in the early-evening sky over the next few days, a rare alignment last seen with all seven last year and not due again until 2040. Neptune and Uranus require binoculars or a telescope, while Venus will be the brightest and Mercury the faintest near the horizon. The best viewing windows are after sunset (about 5:45 pm UK / 6:00 pm US), with the lineup forming a curved arc across the western sky; the pattern differs in the southern hemisphere. NASA has released new sonifications from the Chandra X-ray Observatory for Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. The Moon will also be visible, and observers should avoid looking at the Sun through binoculars or telescopes.
