{"id":299758,"date":"2026-02-24T12:58:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T12:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/299758\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T12:58:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T12:58:22","slug":"unmissable-phenomenon-will-see-six-planets-align-this-week-as-britons-can-witness-rare-event-with-their-own-eyes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/299758\/","title":{"rendered":"Unmissable phenomenon will see SIX planets align this week as Britons can witness rare event with their own eyes"},"content":{"rendered":"

British stargazers have a rare opportunity to witness a spectacular celestial display this weekend when six planets will appear together in the evening sky.<\/p>\n

The astronomical phenomenon, commonly referred to as a planetary parade, occurs when multiple planets become visible simultaneously from Earth’s perspective.<\/p>\n

On February 28, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will all be observable shortly after dusk, weather permitting.<\/p>\n

Such gatherings of four or five planets visible without optical aids typically happen only every few years, according to Nasa. <\/p>\n

Those keen to see the incredible display but miss Saturday\u2019s showing will have to wait till October 2028 for another chance, though that parade will feature only five planets. <\/p>\n

However, the following alignment after that is not expected until February 2034.<\/p>\n

Last year saw alignments featuring six and even all seven planets, making these events relatively uncommon but not once-in-a-lifetime occurrences.<\/p>\n

Four of these celestial bodies\u2014Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury\u2014can be spotted with the naked eye alone, though clear skies are essential.<\/p>\n

\"Solar<\/p>\n

Britons will have a chance to see a rare space phenomenon where six planets align in the sky<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

GETTY<\/p>\n

Venus will prove the easiest to locate, being the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon.<\/p>\n

The remaining two planets in the parade, Uranus and Neptune, will require binoculars or a telescope to observe.<\/p>\n

Mercury may also present some difficulty for viewers, as it sits low near the horizon and can occasionally be challenging to discern without optical equipment.<\/p>\n

The planets will appear grouped together because their orbits currently place them on the same side of the Sun during this period.<\/p>\n

\"Solar<\/p>\n

A repeat of this full alignment is not expected until February 2034<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

GETTY<\/p>\n

For optimal viewing, head outside approximately 30 minutes to an hour after sunset and direct your gaze towards the western sky.<\/p>\n

Venus, Saturn and Mercury will appear close to the horizon, whilst Jupiter sits higher in the sky alongside Uranus and Neptune.<\/p>\n

Choosing a location away from tall buildings, trees and artificial lighting will significantly improve visibility.<\/p>\n

National Geographic recommends seeking out spots far from urban areas, such as moorlands or remote locations with unobstructed views of the horizon.<\/p>\n

The parade should remain visible throughout the weekend and into the following days, though Mercury will eventually drop below the horizon.<\/p>\n

Planetary scientist Sara Mazrouei from Humber Polytechnic in Canada offers a simple tip for identifying the celestial bodies.<\/p>\n

“If it’s twinkling, it’s a star. If it is not twinkling, it’s a planet,\u201d she advised. <\/p>\n

Dr Shyam Balaji, a researcher in astroparticle physics and cosmology at King’s College London, explained that: \u201cThese alignments have no gravitational effects on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir combined gravitational pull of the planets on Earth is negligible compared to that of the Moon or the Sun.<\/p>\n

The academic explained that: \u201cPlanetary alignments have often inspired cultural or astrological interpretations, but scientifically they are predictable geometrical coincidences with no known physical influence.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"British stargazers have a rare opportunity to witness a spectacular celestial display this weekend when six planets will…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":299759,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[111,139,69,147,392],"class_list":["post-299758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-science","tag-space"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299758"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299758\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}