Planetary Alignments Explained: The Next 6-Planet Parade is on February 28, 2026
6 planets will align on February 28 with 4 of them easily visible to the naked eye! Curious if you can see this event? It’s easy to find out! Use the Planet Walk feature in the free Star Walk 2 app to see how the planets will line up from your location on the given date. This article provides a complete guide to observing the alignment and explains the science behind this amazing celestial event.
Contents
- Six planets alignment on February 28, 2026
- What is a planetary alignment?
- What happens when the planets align?
- The upcoming planetary alignments
- FAQ
- Planet Alignments: Conclusion
Planetary alignment is an astronomical term that means that several planets gather closely on one side of the Sun at the same time.
Planet parade is a colloquial term that means, in the broadest sense, that several planets are present in the sky in one night.
Now, let's find out when the planets will align next. To learn more about how planetary alignments work, go straight to the "What is a planetary alignment" chapter.
Six planets alignment on February 28, 2026
Look for a large planetary alignment around February 28, 2026! In the evening, about an hour after sunset, six planets — Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, Venus, and Mercury — will align in the sky.
Four of them (Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury) will be easily visible to the naked eye. For Uranus and Neptune, get a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.
The Moon, about 90% illuminated, will also be in the sky, appearing very close to Jupiter. This will create a particularly beautiful view.
Here are some details about each planet:
Elusive Mercury (mag 1.6) will reach its greatest separation from the Sun on February 19 and will still be visible at the end of the month. Look for it low above the western horizon shortly after sunset, in the constellation Pisces.
Nearby will be brilliant Venus (mag -3.9). It will make a close approach to Mercury on February 27, passing within 4°30′ from it. Venus will be in the neighboring constellation Aquarius, also near the western horizon. It will be the brightest dot in that direction — and in the entire sky.
Clench your hand into a fist and hold it at arm’s length. About that distance above Venus, you’ll spot golden Saturn (mag 1.0) in Pisces. Its steady, yellowish glow makes it stand out from nearby stars.
With a pair of powerful binoculars or a telescope, look less than 1° from Saturn — also in Pisces — to see Neptune (mag 7.8). This distant planet is too faint for the naked eye and requires effort to observe. By the way, on February 16, Neptune and Saturn will have their final conjunction in a series of three. It will be the last time they appear this close together until the year 2132!
Look higher in the sky and slightly to the south to find Uranus (mag 5.8) in Taurus. Under perfect dark-sky conditions, it theoretically can be seen without optical aid, but binoculars make spotting it much easier. About 5° (roughly three finger widths) to the west are the Pleiades (mag 1.2), which are bright enough to be seen even from a city. If you have trouble finding Uranus, try the free Star Walk 2 app, which can help you locate planets and stars in real time.
The final planet in the alignment is Jupiter (mag -2.4), the second-brightest planet in the night sky. You’ll find it in the east, in Gemini, near the 90%-illuminated Moon. On February 27, the Moon and Jupiter will make a close approach, passing within 3°54′ of each other.
Where & when to see planetary alignment today?
The large planetary alignment will be visible in the evenings around February 28, 2026: start looking about an hour after sunset.
Note that February 28, 2026 is a median date based on when this event will be well visible for most locations around the world. The perfect date to view the alignment may vary depending on your location.
Below are the selected locations and dates when the planets will be visible in the smallest sector of the sky during this alignment.
- São Paulo: February 25, 128-degree sky sector;
- Athens: February 28, 156-degree sky sector;
- Mexico: February 28, 175-degree sky sector;
- New York: February 28, 152-degree sky sector;
- Tokyo: February 28, 160-degree sky sector;
- Beijing: March 1, 153-degree sky sector;
- Berlin: March 1, 138-degree sky sector;
- Bombay: March 1, 174-degree sky sector;
- London: March 1, 139-degree sky sector;
- Reykjavík: March 2, 129-degree sky sector.
Note that tall buildings or high mountains near you might hide the planets from view.
How to see a planetary alignment in February 2026?
Catching six planets in the sky at once requires precise timing. Mercury and Venus will stay low above the horizon, so the observation window is short.
The easiest way to find all the planets in the sky is to use the Planet Walk feature in the free Star Walk 2 app — a new tool designed for tracking planets and alignments. During the February planetary alignment, thousands of users already approved it!
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Open Star Walk 2 and go to the Planets section from the Menu.
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Tap "Planet Walk".
- You'll see a sky map with planets highlighted.
- Planet icons (along with the Sun and Moon) appear at the bottom — tap one to find it on the map.
- If a planet is below the horizon, its icon will look faded.
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Point your device at the sky to match the image on your screen with the real sky.
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Tap a planet’s icon and follow the white arrow to spot it in the sky.
- For an even more immersive view, tap the camera icon (top right corner) to activate AR mode and see a sky map overlaid on your real surroundings.
No other astronomy app offers a feature quite like Planet Walk , which waited years before being introduced. Read the behind-the-scenes story and see how it can enhance your stargazing adventures.
To see the alignment in all its beauty, find a place with a dark sky without light pollution and with a clear view of the horizon (without obstacles such as trees or tall buildings).
Also, make sure you’re looking at planets, not stars. They may all appear as shining dots in the sky, but with a few tips, you can easily distinguish planets from other celestial objects. First of all, the planets Venus and Jupiter are often the brightest dots in the sky. In addition, unlike stars, planets shine with a steady light and hardly twinkle. For more tips on viewing planets, check out our handy guide.
To learn when planets are best visible in your location and plan the observations ahead, check the "Best nights" section in the Star Walk 2 app. It will show you when the planets gather in the smallest section of the sky.
What is a planetary alignment?
Here are two common definitions of a planetary alignment:
- An astronomical event when planets gather closely on one side of the Sun at the same time, as seen from above the Solar System.
Some people think the Solar System planets can form a straight line as viewed from the Sun. However, the planets cannot achieve full alignment in three dimensions. Even a looser grouping in one quadrant (a 90-degree sector) is extremely rare: all planets gather in one quadrant only 7 times in the current millennium.
- A visual phenomenon when the planets appear close together in a small sky sector, as seen from the Earth.
When the Earth is one of the planets gathered on one side of the Sun, it appears to the observer that several planets are aligned in the sky. The smaller the sector in which the planets are seen, the more spectacular the alignment.
Don’t forget that alignments from the first definition aren’t always as striking as seen from the Earth. Even when all the planets gather within one quadrant in space, they may be scattered across the sky’s dome. Moreover, when the inner planets are close to the Earth-Sun line, we won't see them in the night sky.
Look at our infographic to understand how planetary alignments work. You’ll learn how to spot them and what to expect from the upcoming "planet parade."
Do the planets form a line in the sky during the planetary alignment?
The planets do form a line, but it's not perfectly straight. All the planets orbit the Sun in almost the same plane. As a result, when viewing from Earth, the other planets appear to move along the ecliptic, the Sun’s yearly path across the sky.
You can see it yourself with the stargazing app Star Walk 2:
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Open the app and go to the "Planets" section in the Menu.
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Play the animation in the section. Do you see the yellow dotted line forming an arc? This is the ecliptic. The planets are grouped near this line.
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Tap the Planet Walk button to see the planets on the sky map.
- In the animation, the ecliptic appears as an arc because it shows a wide view of the sky, from east to west.
- On the sky map, where only a smaller section of the sky is visible, the ecliptic appears as a straight line.
This is why, during a planetary alignment, the planets seem to form an almost straight line in the sky.
Is a planetary alignment and a planet parade the same thing?
"Planet parade" is not an official astronomical term, so it is used more loosely than the term "planetary alignment." Planetary alignments are colloquially called planet parades. Additionally, when multiple planets are visible together in one night, it can also be called a planet parade. In astrology, a planet parade occurs when several planets are located in the same zodiac constellation.
Types of planetary alignments in the Solar System
The following types of planetary alignments are distinguished according to the number of participating planets:
- Mini planetary alignment – 3 planets.
- Small planetary alignment – 4 planets.
- Large planetary alignment – 5 or 6 planets.
- Great (full) planetary alignment – all Solar System planets (+ Pluto sometimes).
When two planets are close in the sky, what is it called?
When two planets meet in the sky, it's not a planetary alignment yet. It may be the closest approach or conjunction. In our dedicated article, you’ll find details about the upcoming planetary conjunctions. Often, a conjunction occurs between two planets during a planetary alignment.
During the February alignment, the two bright planets, Venus and Mercury, will make a close approach. They will be at their closest on the evening of February 27. Look toward the western horizon shortly after sunset.
On February 16, Saturn and Neptune will be in conjunction. This will be the last event in their series of three conjunctions. They will appear very close to each other — less than 1° apart — but you will need at least binoculars to see Neptune. Look for them in the evening sky above the western horizon.
What happens when the planets align?
Some people, especially on social media, falsely claim that alignments can cause tsunamis, earthquakes, and other global disasters due to the gravitational forces of other planets. This nonsense has been repeatedly debunked. In reality, alignments do not affect gravity or human life, but they are cool astronomical events.
Such speculations are based on the fact that not everyone understands how planetary alignments work. When planets align in the sky from the Earth’s point of view, it doesn’t mean they form a straight line in space. On this chart, you can see how planets will actually be positioned in the Solar System during a large planetary alignment on February 28, 2026.
Even when several planets do line up roughly on one side of the Sun (if we look from above the Solar System’s plane), this rare event — called a syzygy — is completely harmless. It has happened many times throughout history without causing trouble.
Only two objects in our Solar System have a noticeable effect on Earth's gravity: the Moon and the Sun. Twice each month, when the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up during new or full Moon phases, their combined gravity creates exceptionally high tides.
Some people mistakenly think that if a line-up of only three objects causes higher tides, then the alignment of all planets means a tremendous gravitational impact on Earth. However, it is not the number of objects that matters, but their proximity and mass. The Moon’s gravity affects Earth because it’s very close, and the Sun affects us because it’s extremely massive (about 1,000 times bigger than the largest planet, Jupiter). Meanwhile, planets in our system are too far apart to strongly affect each other with gravity.
Spiritual meaning of planetary alignments
Some people believe that planets can influence their lives. For instance, Mercury impacts communication and thinking, Venus — relationships and love, and Uranus represents change, innovations, and rebellion.
Alignments of several planets are often described as events that "enhance the flow of cosmic energy on Earth" and "offer a unique opportunity to tap into the energy of the cosmos, empowering personal growth and transformations".
However, there is no scientific proof that planetary alignments influence our bodies, behavior, or destiny. If you feel energized or inspired to take up a new hobby, that's great — just remember that it's not controlled by the planets.
The upcoming planetary alignments
Plan your planetary observations for the next few years and beyond! And don’t miss the next planetary alignment – described in detail at the beginning of the article and regularly updated.
Not all parts of the world have the same view of planetary alignments. Due to the position of the ecliptic on the celestial sphere, certain planets may not be visible from where you live. Therefore, please keep in mind that the following list of planetary alignments is a general overview. The listed dates indicate when the planets can be clearly seen from most locations worldwide. If you miss this precise date, don't worry — the alignment is typically visible for a few days before and after the given date.
Here are the upcoming planetary alignments that will occur in 2026:
- February 28, 2026: a large evening alignment of Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter.
- April 18, 2026: a small morning alignment of Saturn, Mars, Mercury, and Neptune.
- May 12, 2026: a mini evening alignment of Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus.
- August 12, 2026: a large morning alignment of Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune.
- November 14, 2026: a small morning alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.
To check if a specific planetary alignment is entirely visible from your location, use the Star Walk 2 app. Open the "Planets" section in the Menu and tap "☆ Best nights to see planets". You’ll find a list of date ranges when several planets align in your sky. The date in the middle marks when planets align in the smallest sector of the sky in your location. Tap any alignment to jump to that date.
You'll see key details like planets’ rise and set times, brightness, and night duration (when the Sun is below the horizon).
Use the animated scheme to watch how the planets move across the sky on that date and pick the best time for viewing.
When will 5, 6, or 7 planets align in the sky?
Here is the list of the next planetary alignments that feature 5 to 7 planets:
- February 28, 2026: a large evening alignment of Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter.
- August 12, 2026: a large morning alignment of Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune.
- July 2, 2027: a large morning alignment of Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
The most anticipated planetary alignments
Here are some planetary alignments discussed in the media. They are noteworthy because they feature many planets that are grouped closely together. However, most of them won’t happen anytime soon, so don't hold your breath.
On September 8, 2040, five naked-eye planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) will align in the sky. The crescent Moon will also be visible, positioned between Venus and Saturn. The best time for observations will be around 19:30 local time.
On March 15, 2080, six planets – Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Uranus – will be visible in the morning sky. This alignment is especially remarkable because it will feature the "great conjunction" of Saturn and Jupiter, which will be only six arcminutes apart.
On May 19, 2161, all Solar System planets, including the Earth, will gather on one side of the Sun. The planetary alignment will be seen just before dawn.
On November 7, 2176, all Solar System planets, including the Earth, will gather on one side of the Sun. The planetary alignment will be seen in the Earth’s sky just after sunset.
On May 6, 2492, all Solar System planets, including the Earth, will gather on one side of the Sun. In the Earth’s sky, the planetary alignment will be seen just after sunset.
FAQ
When is the next planetary alignment?
The next planetary alignment will take place on February 28, 2026, and will feature six planets — Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn. Learn about planetary alignments and how to observe them with our colorful infographic.
What is it called when all the planets align?
When all Solar System planets align, it’s called a "great" or "full" planetary alignment. However, the planets can’t be in a straight line in space, so during the alignment, they just gather closely on one side of the Sun.
How to see the next alignment of planets?
Planetary alignments are quite easy to observe, with just a few essential tips to keep in mind:
- The alignments featuring Mercury can be viewed just after sunset or before dawn, depending on the date.
- Use a pair of binoculars when trying to spot Uranus and Neptune.
- For the inner planets, the best viewing conditions occur near their greatest elongations, and for the outer planets – around their oppositions.
Use the app Star Walk 2 to find all the planets in the sky above you and learn their visibility conditions.
When will all the planets align?
The planets of our Solar System never form a perfectly straight line in space, because their orbits aren't on the same plane. But sometimes, the planets gather closely on one side of the Sun and appear together in the sky. At the next great (full) planetary alignment on February 3, 2034, the seven planets — Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn — will be observable in the sky simultaneously.
Planet Alignments: Conclusion
Planetary alignment is a term used in astronomy to describe the event when several planets gather in a small sky area. This event may also be colloquially called a "planetary parade." The next time you will be able to see a planetary alignment is around February 28, 2026. Six planets — Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, Venus, and Mercury — will align in the evening sky, about an hour after sunset, and the bright Moon will join them. Download the free stargazing app Star Walk 2 to spot all the planets easily.
Still got questions? Check out our reel explaining how planetary alignments work. Follow us on social media for more exciting videos!
