After the colorful northern lights recently lit up the night sky over Vienna in January, another astronomical spectacle is expected at the end of the month. The planetary parade will bring a rare constellation to Vienna, with six planets appearing in a line. This number of celestial bodies only occurs once every few years during the planetary procession, so you should definitely take advantage of this opportunity.
Aligned stars
Photo: Boliviainteligente/Unsplash
When at least three planets line up in their elliptical orbits, it is referred to as a planetary parade, planetary procession, or planetary row. Such a constellation occurs about once a year. However, it is rather rare for four or more planets to be involved. This weekend, you can even spot six of these celestial bodies in the sky, with Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, and Mercury already in a row. On Saturday, February 28 , Venus will join them, completing the planetary parade.
How to observe the planetary parade
Photo: Micheal Mwangi/Unsplash
To see this astronomical spectacle, you need to look west shortly after sunset. On Saturday, the sun sets in Vienna at 5:37 p.m., and it will be completely dark by around 6:15 p.m. Venus and Jupiter will shine the brightest, but Mercury and Saturn will also be visible in good weather. To see Uranus and Neptune, however, you will need a telescope and a cloudless sky. To observe the planetary parade, find a place that is as dark as possible with a clear view to the west.
It’s best to get into position before sunset, as the constellation will reach its peak within the first hour after dark. Mercury in particular is time-sensitive and will quickly disappear from view. If you do miss the procession on February 28, you will have another chance to see the six planets in Vienna on March 1. So if you have a date planned for the weekend, you can end the day together with this romantic activity.