Rare parade of seven planets visible in Minnesota sky soon

Make time soon to head outside after the sun sets and study the sky. Five of the brightest planets — Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and Saturn — and even the faint Neptune and Uranus will align in a rare arc, appearing like a planetary line dance.

One or two planets, maybe three, often line up in the skies, but seven? You’ll have to wait until October 2028 to see anything similar.

Planetary parades happen relatively often when planets align on the same side of the sun, making them visible on earth across the night sky. While six of the planets have been out at the same time this winter, the seventh, Mercury, will join them soon.

“Mercury has always been the missing party in the evening,” said night sky watcher and author “Astro” Bob King, of Duluth.

Expect to see the phenomenon in Minnesota from Feb. 23 - 25, with the best chance on Feb. 24, King said.

Seeing all seven planets aligned will be a challenge, King said, “but with the right conditions and a nice farmland horizon, it can be done.”

Five of the planets should be visible to the naked eye if you’re away from light pollution on a clear night, while distant Neptune and Uranus require binoculars or maybe a telescope.

In Minnesota, begin looking at the west-southwest horizon for Mercury and Saturn, which will appear “like a set of eyes just above the horizon,” King said. But don’t dawdle; These planets will set just over an hour after the sun disappears, according to www.space.com. Seeing them will require binoculars and an unobstructed horizon.

Next, arcing up and to the left, is Neptune, which has a slightly bluish glow and will be part of the Pisces constellation throughout 2025. As the farthest planet from the sun, it’s difficult to spot this dark and cold planet without large binoculars or a small telescope.

Keep the trajectory of the arc and you’ll see Venus, which ranks as the easiest planet to see. Earth’s neighbor burns brightly and boasts the hottest climate with an average temperature of more than 860 degrees. It’s also visible in the Pisces constellation.

Arcing above and to the left of Venus, Uranus appears faint but visible and slightly greenish with use of binoculars. The icy giant may be four times wider than Earth, but its location as the seventh planet from the sun makes it tougher to spot.

Jupiter, the largest and oldest planet in the solar system, can be visible without any assistance.

Mars, the final planet in the alignment, will stand out with its yellowish or amber hue. The desert planet can warm up to 70 degrees or drop to negative 225 degrees, making Earth’s polar vortex temps seem downright tropical.

“The best way to view this is to go outside the next time there is a clear sky and point or face toward the south,” said Sally Brummel, planetarium manager at the Bell Museum.

The Bell Museum’s star map and planetarium apps like Stellarium Mobile can help identify the planetary alignment, along with stars, constellations, comets and satellites.

If you’re craving starry skies and haven’t yet enjoyed one of winter’s candlelight events, Minnesota State Parks has a few more planned on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Lisa Meyers McClintick has freelanced for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2001 and volunteers as a Minnesota Master Naturalist.

Staff Writer Pam Louwagie and University of Minnesota student reporter Caroline Weier contributed to this report.