7 planets are visible in the night sky, but not for long. Here’s how you can watch in GA
If you like your science fiction with a little more science than fiction and your astrology with a heavy side of astronomy, you’re in luck in February.
So far, 2025 has been one of the best years for star-gazing and one of the most spectacular celestial displays of planetary magic is coming up on Friday, Feb. 28.
The real sky story
It’s not quite the neat, single-file line you may imagine, but the planets do seem to magically line up in an imaginary line. Seven planets—Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Uranus and Neptune—will be visible on Feb. 28, creating an extraordinary celestial display.
The planets in our solar system all orbit the sun in roughly the same flat plane, called the elliptic. From Earth, we see this plane as a line across our sky—the same path that the sun and moon appear to follow.
Because of this, any planets visible in the sky will always appear somewhere along this imaginary line. So in a way, the planets are always “lined up” from our point of view on Earth, but this particular event is special because six planets will be simultaneously visible.
What you’ll actually see
These planets will shine brightly in the evening sky and be seen by the naked eye. You will need some binoculars or a telescope to view the planets, and it will depend on where you live and what time of day.
Here are a few tools to help your viewing experience:
- Time and Date: an interactive tool that allows you to set the time and location of your watch party.
- Stellarium: this can show you the position of the planets.
- Sky Tonight: a mobile app that uses your phone’s technology to show you real-time positions of the planets.
Here are some tips to get the most bang for your starry buck.
Viewing Strategy
Start around 6 p.m.
Find a spot without a cluttered horizon
Look west to see Venus shining brilliantly
Find Saturn slightly to the left of Venus
Turn east to spot Jupiter high in the sky
Look for Mars on the eastern horizon with an orange hue
Even though this can be a beautiful astronomical moment, the key is managing expectations and keeping an open mind. Every planet may not be visible to every sky-watcher’s eye, and the less experienced observers may not get the whole picture.
Some star lovers may prefer to avoid the cold and watch from the couch by using sites like NASA Live or The Live Planet Parade.
