Astrophotographer Josh Dury has captured a stunning image of seven planets aligning in the night sky, offering a rare opportunity for skywatchers to witness this phenomenon. The alignment occurs on February 22nd from the Mendip Hills in Somerset, UK.
Three of the brightest planets – Venus, Jupiter, and Mars – will be easily visible to the naked eye, while Saturn and Mercury can be spotted with binoculars or a small telescope. Uranus and Neptune require even more advanced equipment.
Dury’s challenge was capturing these three planets, which are close to the sun, using multiple exposures and matching plain sphere maps to confirm their position. The resulting image shows seven planets in panoramic view.
This planetary parade is uncommon but breathtaking, with each alignment occurring every 26 months. However, it won’t be seen again until late October 2028. Skywatchers can still catch a glimpse of the parade this month, starting from dusk when Venus shines brightly in the west-southwest sky.
Source: https://www.space.com/astrophotographer-captures-rare-planetary-alignment-seven-planets-february-2025