Like a heavenly parade across space, five bright planets illuminate the night sky, making them visible to the naked eye in February.
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury are all visible to the naked eye of Skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere. Uranus and Neptune are also part of this month’s planet showcase, but they are difficult to find as you will need to look at binoculars and telescopes.
All bright planets can be seen until the end of February, but towards the second half of the moon, the position of some planets on the horizon makes them more difficult. According to Jackie Faherty, an astronomer and senior research scientist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, Skywatchers should enjoy the heavenly sights, saying they should choose a sunny night in the coming weeks.
“I want to tell people that the night sky is the original Netflix, which is something people used to do to entertain themselves,” she said.
The best time to see the planet is after dusk on a clear night, away from city lights and other forms of light pollution.
Venus is usually the brightest, and is the easiest to find in the southwestern sky. Saturn can be found almost directly below Venus, but as the moon progresses, the planets that ring out become more and more difficult, sinking in the sky every day after sunset. To see Jupiter, look at the southern part of the evening. Meanwhile, Mars appears in the middle of the eastern sky. According to Faherty, mercury should also be visible to the naked eye, but it tends to be difficult to see because it is close to the sun.
“It’s always so close to the sun, and the light makes it really hard to find,” she said.
However, by February 24th, mercury is far from the sun, making it easier to find after sunset in the western sky near Saturn.
For Skywatchers with powerful binoculars and telescopes, Uranus and Neptune can also be found with the help of dedication, patience and Starchart, Faherty said.
NASA calls this skywatching event the “Planet Parade.” It does not occur every year, but it is not particularly rare to see multiple bright planets at the same time with overhead.
These events are because all planets in the solar system orbit the Sun on relatively flat disc-shaped planes similar to racetrack cars. Each planet spends a different time orbiting the Sun. For example, Venus completes one orbit in 225 days, while Mercury zips around the star in 88 days, and Saturn takes 29.4 years to complete one revolution.
Occasionally, all planets are on the same side of a philosophical racetrack, spreading across the sky in the same way as the way cars are placed at different points along the same straight as the truck, Faherty said. I did.
“That’s why I might look for some planets at dusk, but some will set it up later, but they’re all over the sky,” she said.
The planetary parade will be on display until February, but there will also be other opportunities to see multiple bright planets in the sky in the coming months and years.
According to NASA, four planets will be visible at the same time before sunrise in late August. In October 2028, five planets will parade before sunrise. And in February 2034, five planets should be visible after sunset.
Faherty said this month’s event is a great way for newcomers to get to know the universe better in a fun and educational way.
“The sky is always changing a little,” Faherty said. “There’s always something that will surprise you.”
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