2025 will begin with an unmissable astronomical event. During February, seven planets in the solar system will line up in the night sky at the same time, and if an observer prepares enough, they will be able to see them all together through different techniques.
Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Saturn and Mercury will line up in the sky on February 28, 2025. Although the alignments are not exactly an astronomical eccentricity, those that bring together more than six planets are more difficult to achieve. witness.
How to see the great planetary alignment of 2025
According to the page starwalkFebruary’s grand planetary alignment will be seen everywhere for most of the night. It will reach its best shortly before dawn. It is even expected that the row of planets will begin to be visualized days before and will remain visible on other nights after February 28. To observe a planetary alignment it is essential to consider three elements in the sky: the ecliptic, the behavior of the planets in the sky and their brightness level.
In a clear sky, there are thousands of stars scattered in every corner, but only the planets appear and always move along an imaginary line called the ecliptic. This strip is the apparent path that the Sun follows in the sky. In a planetary alignment, the bodies are arranged near the ecliptic because the solar system, in essence, is a gigantic plate.
Additionally, although planets and stars look like white dots in the sky, they behave differently. The main differentiating element is that the stars “flicker.” In other words, the brightness in stars seems to come and go. On planets light does not fluctuate. On the other hand, if a viewer pays attention, its light is usually of other tones and intensities. For example, the brightness of Mars is noticeably reddish, while that of Venus is greater than any other star.
On the other hand, planets “move” and stars maintain their fixed position relative to each other. Throughout a night, a planet moves from east to west near the ecliptic and can be above or below it depending on the month of the year.
Finally, to appreciate an alignment it is necessary to predict the brightness that each planet will have on the ecliptic. In astronomy, visibility is calculated in negative and positive magnitudes. The lower the number, the more visible the celestial body is. The higher the number, the more you will need to use binoculars or telescopes. For context, a full Moon, the brightest object on a night, has a magnitude of -12.7. Pluto’s brightness is +14 and even NASA telescopes have difficulty seeing it.
It is still too early to calculate the brightness magnitudes of the planets during the alignment, but as a general rule, Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn are planets bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. Uranus and Neptune need to be observed with sophisticated telescopes. If you want to see all the planets aligned on February 28, you should go with visual support.
You will also have to get up early. Venus and Mercury are planets that can only be seen before dawn due to their proximity to the Sun. To observe the event, astronomers recommend going to high points without light pollution. An outing to the mountains with a good coat could be the ideal plan to view the spectacle. Don’t forget to bring binoculars or a portable telescope.
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