Astronomers Announce Rare Planetary Alignment for 28 February

Exactly a week from today, on 28 February, a rare planetary alignment will take place, during which seven planets will be visible from Earth at the same time, LiveScience reports.  

Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars will be aligned in a single line, a phenomenon that astronomers call a great planetary conjunction. To observe Uranus and Neptune, you will need binoculars, while the other planets will be visible to the naked eye.  

On 21 January, people on Earth could see six planets in the sky at the same time - Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn.  

Although several planets can be on the same side of the Sun at the same time quite often, the more planets involved in the alignment, the rarer this phenomenon is. The most unique cases are when all seven planets are visible at the same time.  

Visually, the planets appear to be in a single line as they all orbit the Sun along the ecliptic. Some planets have orbits slightly above or below this plane, but generally remain at about the same level.  

Sometimes the planets end up on the same side of the Sun as they move through their orbits, making it possible to see them together in the night sky.