Uzbekistan residents to observe rare planetary alignment on February 28

The phenomenon, often referred to as a planetary parade, will involve six planets of the Solar System – Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter. The alignment will be visible from all regions of Uzbekistan shortly after sunset.

According to the institute, four of the six planets – Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter – will be visible to the naked eye. Neptune and Uranus, due to their faint brightness, will require special optical equipment such as a telescope or binoculars.

Mercury and Venus, being closest to the Sun, will appear very low on the horizon during the alignment. This positioning may reduce visibility and make observation more challenging.

Saturn, Neptune, Venus and Mercury will appear relatively close to one another in the sky. After sunset, these planets will begin to set shortly after the Sun. For better viewing conditions, astronomers recommend choosing an elevated location with a clear view of the western horizon unobstructed by tall buildings.

Mars will not be part of this alignment. From Earth’s perspective, the planet will set before the Sun and therefore will not be visible during the event.

The Astronomy Institute emphasized that planetary alignments are predictable astronomical phenomena and warned against linking them to human destiny or making speculative forecasts based on their occurrence.

For reference, a planetary alignment is an astronomical term describing a configuration in which two or more planets appear on the same side of the Sun, either roughly along a straight line or within an angular separation of about 20–30 degrees. The expression planetary parade is an informal term used to describe such events.