Make sure you’re gazing at planets, not stars—it’s trickier than you might think! While Venus is easy to spot as the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon, the other planets are a bit subtler. Here’s a pro tip: planets don’t twinkle, but stars do.
Over time, you’ll also notice that planets wander through different constellations, while stars hold their “fixed” positions relative to one another. For a clearer breakdown of the differences, check out our handy infographic—it’s out of this world!
Use the Sky Tonight app to identify celestial objects
If you’re unsure what you’re looking at, the free Sky Tonight app makes identifying planets a breeze:
Step 1: Open the app and point your device at the sky, or tap the big blue button. It will show a live view of the sky above and follow your movements.
Step 2: Aim your device at the part of the sky where the object is located. Lower the magnitude settings so only naked-eye objects remain on the screen—just tap the bottom panel and drag the top slider toward the eye icon.
Step 3: Tap on the object you’re curious about, and its name will appear. You can tap the name for more information about what you’re seeing.
Seven planets will align on February 28, 2025
Mark your calendars for February 28, 2025 —another spectacular planetary alignment is on the way. And this one isn’t just good; it’s classified as a great alignment, so you won’t want to miss it. If you were to busy for planet watching on January, you can catch up a month later!
In the evening, shortly after sunset, seven planets—Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars—will line up across the sky. Out of these, four (Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars) will be bright enough to spot with the naked eye. For Uranus and Neptune, you’ll need a trusty pair of binoculars or a small telescope to catch the view. Saturn will be the trickiest to spot, as it stays close to the Sun, so timing will be everything.
— previous three posts by Raquel at https://eladelantado.com/news/planetary-alignment-feb-2025-guide/
Leave a Reply