Astronomer shares tips for spotting rare planet parade

A Plymouth astronomer has offered advice on how to view a rare planetary parade, which has been visible in the night sky this past week.

Chris Cooke, Chairman of the Plymouth Astronomical Society and founder of We Have The Stars, an astronomy website, shared his expert tips with The Moorlander.

He explained that to get the best view, stargazers will need to “get a really good view of the west.”

The planetary parade, which will be visible on the evening of 28 February around 6.30pm, features a rare alignment of several planets.

While binoculars can help with the view, Chris urged caution just after sunset.

“If you have binoculars, it will help, but be careful just after sunset!” he said.

Chris offered a breakdown of which planets will be visible and where to look: “You should be able to see the brilliant Venus and lower down, Mercury. It’s unlikely you will see an almost new moon on the horizon, but – and it’s a big but – if you can, look slightly to the left of it to see Saturn. I would say that tonight (February 28) is probably the last night you could claim that Saturn was in the evening sky.”

As for the other planets, Chris explained that Jupiter will be nearly overhead, while Mars is easy to spot due to its distinctive redness.

“The planets are all located on a line known as the ecliptic – or, if you’re into astrology (which I’m not, by the way), the Zodiac. The word planet is derived from the Greek (the wanderer) and these stars in ancient times would have been fascinating to watch and difficult to understand.”

For those keen to spot the more distant planets, Chris recommended using binoculars and knowing where to look.

“The distant planets Uranus and Neptune are really only identified using binoculars if you know where to look! There are star apps on phones, of course, but the best bet, if you're really determined to catch them, is to take a photo and pick out the planet against the stars. I’ve seen someone do this recently on our Astronomy Society Facebook page,” he said.

As the sky darkens, stargazers can also look out for the famous Orion constellation.

“You’ll be able to spot the famous Orion constellation directly south, and, of course, the Orion Nebula in Orion's Belt. Just to the left is Sirius – a wonderfully bright star. In fact, it’s the brightest star in our sky, other than the Sun, of course,” Chris added.

Looking ahead, Chris noted that the Moon will be rising higher in the sky on Saturday (1 March) and Sunday (2 March), and this will help guide viewers towards the planets in the southwest.

“Mercury too will become a lot easier to spot over the next few weeks,” he said.

This planetary alignment is a rare event, with the next similar configuration expected in 2040.