How to view the planetary parade from Birmingham on Feb. 28

A rare astronomical phenomenon will take place Saturday, Feb. 28, and Birmingham will have a great view.

A “planetary parade” happens when six planets appear in a loose alignment shortly after sunset, WVTM meteorologist Jason Simpson wrote on Facebook.

Provided the weather cooperates, Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter will be visible to the naked eye, according to NASA. To see Uranus and Neptune, viewers will need binoculars or a telescope.

You may be able to spot these planets close together before Feb. 28, but that Saturday will be when they are most closely aligned this month.

Why do planetary parades happen?

Planetary parades, sometimes known as planetary alignments, aren’t rare in and of themselves. But the more planets are visible at the same time, the more rare it is.

The moon and planets orbit the Sun on the “ecliptic,” a term often used in stargazing to describe a similar geometric plane.

From our vantage point on Earth, the planets appear to travel along the same strip of sky. Each planet, however, orbits the Sun at its own speed — Mercury can finish a lap in 88 days, but Saturn takes about 29 years.

The planetary parades happen when these laps happen to align, so the planets are all in about the same place at the same time.

How to view in Birmingham

Unlike some space spectacles, you won’t need to stay up too late to catch this month’s planetary parade.

Here’s what you need to know, according to Simpson:

• When: Saturday, Feb. 28 from about 6:10-6:30 PM
• Where: Find an unobstructed view of the sky facing west-southwest
• Tips:
  • Start looking around 5:45 PM to watch the planets emerge after sunset
  • Mercury may be hard to spot because it sits very low — trees or buildings may block its view
  • Saturn is also located lower on the horizon
  • Venus and Jupiter will be the brightest objects in the sky
  • Uranus is positioned close to the Pleiades and Neptune is located near Saturn — both will require binoculars or a telescope

Some great public options for viewing nearby include:

• Oak Mountain State Park
• Bluff Park
• Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park
• Cahaba River Park

Sites closer to Birmingham-proper — such as Vulcan Park — may be great to view a beautiful skyline, but for stargazing, it’s best to get away from city lights.

For news, events and more happening around Birmingham, sign up for our FREE newsletter.