Planet Parade 2026: For astronomy fans the month of February will be one to watch out for, as a rare alignment of planets is about to take place this month. Being dubbed as the planetary parade by astronomers, this is one celestial event to watch out for. It is not the first time we are looking at a celestial event like this happening, and the event is not an uncommon one. The most recent one happened last year in 2025 somewhere around this time in January/February, and previous ones were in July 2020 and April 2002.
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As far as major astronomical occurrences are concerned last year, these also included a supermoon, a blood moon, and a solar eclipse. Even though the planetary alignment has happened before, it's still a celestial phenomenon to watch out for as the planets dance in this symmetry of gravity.
What Will You See?
During this event you will be able to witness several planets simultaneously in the sky. You will be able to witness it after sunset, as the light from the planets will be visible during the nighttime and will look like shining stars in the sky. Last year in 2025, when this occurrence took place, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Uranus, and Neptune could be seen on a single night. Although through the naked eye not all of these planets are visible due to magnanimous distances, a special telescope might be required for some, and the situation this February is more or less similar.
When Will It Happen?
This time the alignment will possibly happen around 28th February, and six planets will be visible simultaneously. According to NASA’s official Watch the Skies blog, February 28, 2026, will bring a standout celestial moment. Shortly after sunset, six planets, Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter, are expected to appear together in the evening sky. Making an appearance through the evening sky, some of them can be seen without a special telescopic aid.
Best Time To Watch
The best time to watch will be 30-90 minutes after the sun sets. This time the positioning will be towards the western horizon.
Planet Visibility
Naked Eye—Jupiter will be the easiest to spot, as the gas giant is, after all, the biggest planet in our solar system. Apart from that, Venus will also be visible with bright light.
Saturn and Mercury will be lower on the horizon, making them a bit harder to see.
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Special Guest
It's not just the planets that will make the celestial event even more memorable; we also have a special guest that is rather close to us, the Moon. Probably with a slender crescent shape, it will surely dazzle the star-studded lineup. So if you are someone who loves space and astronomy, this is the parade to watch out for.