On February 28 a rare phenomenon will occur — visible even in Athens — called “planetary alignment,” resulting in the planets being more clustered and appearing in the night sky.
The phenomenon, which is also known as a “planet parade,” happens when at least four or five planets are visible at the same time, according to NASA.
The alignment is purely an optical phenomenon, as in reality the planets remain at distances of millions to billions of kilometres from one another.
Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter will be visible to the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune will require binoculars or a telescope to be seen.
The visual effect will last for weeks, and the best way to observe it will be about 30 minutes after local sunset.
Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter will be visible to the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune will require binoculars or a telescope to be seen.
The alignment will be visible to people around the world, but because February 28 is an average date, viewers in different parts of the world may be able to see the parade a few days before or after that date.
According to the Star Walk app, the best viewing will be on February 25 for São Paulo, on February 28 for Athens, New York, Mexico City and Tokyo, on March 1 for Beijing, Berlin, London and Mumbai, and on March 2 from Reykjavik.
Source: Guardian
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