XPost: alt.astronomy, alt.fan.heinlein

from
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/27/nx-s1-5308606/planet-parade-sky-february

A rare 'parade' of all 7 planets will move across the night sky this week February 27, 20255:00 AM ET
By

Chandelis Duster

This chart of the night sky from NASA shows Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and
Venus in a "planet parade" in January 2025.
This chart of the night sky from NASA shows Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and
Venus in a "planet parade" in January 2025.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/NASA.gov
Sky gazers across the U.S. will have a chance to see an extraordinary
celestial event on Friday as all of the planets in our solar system will
appear in the evening sky.

This phenomenon known as a "planet parade," will feature Mercury, Venus,
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all visible at the same time
along a line or arc in the sky, NASA says. Though "planet parade" is not
an official astronomical term, it typically refers to when four or more
planets are seen together in the sky.

The chance to observe all planets simultaneously is rare, but Preston
Dyches, a public engagement specialist at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, says that multiple planets have been visible in the sky
since January.

This artist's concept depicts NASA's Lunar Trailblazer in lunar orbit
about 60 miles from the surface of the moon. The spacecraft weighs 440
lbs and is 11.5 feet wide when its solar panels are fully deployed.
Science
Lunar Trailblazer sets out to find water on the moon
"When you look across the sky, you're looking out into the solar system
and you're looking from within the plane of the planets, this circular racetrack that all the planets are racing around as they orbit the sun,"
Dyches tells NPR. "So you're going to always see that as a line from the
point of view of somebody on the racetrack looking at the other planets."

While space enthusiasts will try to get a glimpse of this parade,
astronomers like Pamela Gay, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, are also on the lookout for another celestial phenomenon that
could overshadow the parade.

T Coronae Borealis, a binary star system nicknamed the "Blaze Star," is
located in the Northern Crown constellation and expected to become
visible to the naked eye after a nova explosion. This system brightens
nearly every 80 years, with the last recorded nova occurring in 1946.
When it happens, the system will be so bright it can be seen on Earth
without a telescope. The timing of the next nova is uncertain but Gay
says it could happen soon.

"We've been waiting for this sucker to flare up and get super bright for several months. We know it's coming," Gay tells NPR. "It's starting to
show signs that it might be gearing up to flare into brightness."

For those hoping to see a reunion with Pluto, which was considered the
solar system's ninth planet until it was redefined as a "dwarf planet,"
in 2006, don't get your hopes up. Pluto will be below the horizon during
the parade, Gay says.

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft captured this high-resolution enhanced
color view of Pluto on July 14, 2015. The image combines blue, red and
infrared images taken by the Ralph/Multispectral Visual Imaging Camera.
Short Wave: Space Camp
Pluto isn't a planet — but it gives us clues for how the solar system formed To catch a glimpse of the seven visible planets, astronomers recommend
starting to look for them about half an hour after sunset. After that,
Dyches says there will be a short window to see four planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter – as darkness falls. Mercury, Venus and Saturn
will be located to the west, while Jupiter and Mars will be high
overhead alongside Uranus and Neptune.

Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter will be visible to the naked eye but
Uranus and Neptune will require a telescope to be seen after it gets
dark, according to Dyches. Saturn will be quite difficult to see as it
will be very close to the horizon amid the sun's setting glow, and a
telescope may also be necessary. Binoculars could also help in locating
some of the planets, and sky-watching apps can assist users in
pinpointing the positions of the planets.

If you miss this parade, you will have another chance to see it in late
August when four planets will appear in the sky just before sunrise.
After August, you'll need to wait a while, as there will not be another
planet parade until late October 2028, when five planets will be visible
before sunrise.

planets
Solar System
astronomy

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