In February, there is the opportunity to enjoy an extraordinary planetary alignment: seven planets forming a line from the perspective seen from Earth. The planets that will align in the evening sky are Saturn, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Uranus, and Neptune. Although five of them will be visible to the naked eye, a high-powered telescope will be necessary to observe Neptune and Uranus.
The alignment can be seen from both hemispheres, but those located near the equator, especially in the northern hemisphere, will have better conditions to see the planets, as they will be higher in the sky. In the southern hemisphere, places like Argentina and Chile will also be able to enjoy the phenomenon, although the planets will be closer to the horizon. It is recommended to observe them just after sunset and during the early hours of the night to maximize the chances of a good view.
The visual effect of 'planetary alignment' does not imply that the planets are physically arranged in a line exactly one behind the other, but rather it is the visual effect perceived from Earth. This happens because all the planets orbit the Sun in a plane called the ecliptic, which occasionally allows them to appear aligned from our perspective. Conjunctions are astronomical events that occur when two or more celestial bodies, viewed from a third, appear very close to each other in the sky, despite being really far apart.
The astronomical calendar began with the proximity between Neptune and Venus in the sky, followed by the Moon near Saturn in the constellation of Aquarius. In the following days, various notable astronomical events have been observed, such as the Moon near Uranus, the star cluster of the Pleiades, Mars, Spica in Virgo, the New Moon, and the Moon near Saturn.
These events offer a unique opportunity to enjoy the celestial spectacle and dive into the wonderful world of astronomy, taking advantage of every moment to explore and marvel at the beauty of the universe that surrounds us.
