{"id":506356,"date":"2026-02-26T23:39:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T23:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/506356\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T23:39:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T23:39:10","slug":"photographer-captures-six-planets-twinkling-in-the-night-sky-in-rare-alignment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/506356\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographer Captures Six Planets Twinkling in the Night Sky in Rare Alignment"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AThere are seven celestial objects in this photo by Josh Dury. Scroll down to see the annotated version. <\/p>\n

After there was some misleading information online<\/a> over what exactly the upcoming planetary alignment will look like, astrophotographer Josh Dury has already managed to capture all six planets ahead of the main event on February 28. <\/p>\n

Dury headed to a telecommunications memorial on England\u2019s South Coast on Tuesday and was able to capture Jupiter, the Moon, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, Mercury, and Venus \u2014 seven heavenly bodies in total. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe image was utilized with Sigma\u2019s 15mm Diagonal Fisheye Lens<\/a> to capture a near 180-degree field of view,\u201d Dury tells PetaPixel. \u201cA diffuse filter \u2014 NiSi\u2019s StarSoft Filter \u2014 was used to spread the light of stars and planets over a greater surface area, so they are clearer to identify in the photograph.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"AJosh Dury <\/p>\n

Dury has form capturing planetary parades having captured one this time last year.<\/a> Last year there were seven planets visible; this year it\u2019s only six because Mars is hidden by the Sun. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a wonderful experience to capture all of the planets at the same time during optimal viewing conditions,\u201d Dury says. <\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of the light from the first quarter moon and the fading twilight, Venus needed to be positioned as low to the horizon as possible to capture the fainter planets, Uranus and Neptune.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"PanoramicJosh Dury\u2019s planetary parade image from last year. 2025\u2019s alignment also included Mars. <\/p>\n

NASA explains<\/a>, shortly after sunset on February 28, Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter will all be visible in the night sky. As Dury mentioned, Uranus and Neptune require some form of optical assistance to view, whether that\u2019s a telescope, binoculars, or a specialized camera setup.<\/p>\n

Dury took advantage of a rare break in the famous grey weather of the U.K. to capture the planetary alignment, which is just a single frame on his ultra-wide lens. The forecast says it will be cloudy for the main event on Saturday. <\/p>\n

He had to drive four hours to his desired location, a trip that was elongated by road closures. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs the Sun set upon arrival, I did think whether I would have enough time to capture the first planet to the west: Venus,\u201d Dury writes on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cIn the fading twilight, Mercury and Saturn made their presence known. The Moon and Jupiter were already quite dominant.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you are planning on getting out to shoot this weekend then why not check out PetaPixel\u2019s astrophotography guide. <\/a><\/p>\n

More of Dury\u2019s work can be found on his website<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, and X<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Image credits: Photographs by Josh Dury. <\/p>\n