Mercury is about to join the planetary parade, but there's a catch

Seven planets will be visible in the night sky at the end of February, but stargazers will need a telescope, a good view of the western horizon and cloud-free weather to see the planetary parade.

Social media has been abuzz about the ongoing alignment of planets, with Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus and Saturn stretched across the sky on a nightly basis—and soon, Mercury will join the parade. However, the celestial show won't be as captivating as some headlines may suggest.

Six planets have been visible on cloud-free nights since January, with Mercury being the only planet missing. But the fanfare has come with a catch: Uranus and Neptune are visible only with a telescope, meaning most people have only been able to see Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn.

Mercury will show up near the bottom of the planetary parade during the final nights of February, making it possible for stargazers with the right equipment and viewing location to see seven planets in one night. The challenge will be where Mercury will appear, as it will be extremely low in the western sky — barely above the horizon — between 30 and 60 minutes after sunset.

Additionally, Saturn will set earlier and earlier with every passing night and, by the final nights of February, will dip below the horizon before the sky is dark enough to spot the planet.

Bottom line, most people will only be able to see three of the seven planets: Mars, Jupiter and Venus.

Why is the planetary alignment happening?

The planets may appear to fall in line across the night sky, but in reality, they are millions of miles apart. The reason why they appear in the sky at the same time is that they are all on the same side of the sun from the perspective of Earth.

So, while seven planets will technically be above the horizon at the same time in late February, the majority of onlookers will only be able to spot Mars, Jupiter and Venus.

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