Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Neptune, Uranus and Mercury are staring in a “planetary parade” this week, but your ability to actually spot them will depend on preparation, equipment and, as always, a spot of luck with the weather.
Most of this week’s naked-eye planetary action will take place low in the western sky, which is where the aforementioned preparation comes in. Be sure to stake out a raised location with a clear view of the horizon well ahead of time — you can use a smartphone stargazing app to figure out exactly where the planets will be in your local environment, so there’s no need to guess.
Do so, and you’ll be granted a rare, if challenging opportunity to spot Mercury shining 10 degrees — roughly the width of your clenched fist held at arm’s length — above the late winter skyline, with Venus close to its left, floundering in the glow of the setting sun. Saturn, meanwhile, will glow less than 10 degrees to the upper left of Venus, with a distant cousin lurking nearby, but more on that later.
Mercury and Venus will follow the sun out of sight roughly an hour after sunset, briefly becoming more visible as the sky darkens and they grow closer to the horizon. Jupiter, meanwhile, will shine high in the eastern sky, with the waxing gibbous moon below, obscuring the stars of the constellation Cancer with its reflected light.
The next two planets will need a little added magnification to spot — and even then, you’ll have the odds stacked against you.
The ice giant Neptune will be positioned two degrees to the right of Saturn, but will be too dim to spot with the unaided eye. Under dark skies, a telescope with an aperture of 8 inches (200 millimeters) or more can reveal its tiny bluish disk. However its position low on the horizon and close to the glare of our parent star will make it a challenge to spot on the nights surrounding Feb. 28. As always the utmost care must be taken to ensure that the sun is firmly below the horizon before pointing telescopic equipment in its general direction.
Uranus, meanwhile, can be found by sweeping your scope across the patch of sky 5 degrees below the Pleiades open star cluster, to the right of the “V” formation of stars in the constellation Taurus in the hours following sunset. Again, those new to the night sky may want to use a smartphone astronomy app, which makes use of augmented reality technology to help you pinpoint everything from constellations and planets to galaxies and meteor shower radiants.
Award-winning night sky photographer Josh Dury grappled with the sheer scope of the scene along with the glow of the setting sun and other challenges to capture a gorgeous long exposure view of the planetary parade earlier this week as it brightened the sky over the south of England.
For more, check out our handy guide on the equipment needed to see and photograph the planets. If you’re into photography, then why not also read our roundups of the best cameras and lenses for capturing the night sky?
Editor’s Note: If you would like to share your planetary astrophotography with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
