A rare planetary alignment

         From :- Star Walk

         Edited by: Amal Udawatta

Look for a large planetary alignment around February 28, 2026! In the evening, about an hour after sunset, six planets — Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, Venus, and Mercury — will align in the sky.

Four of them (Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury) will be easily visible to the naked eye. For Uranus and Neptune, get a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.

The Moon, about 90% illuminated, will also be in the sky, appearing very close to Jupiter. This will create a particularly beautiful view.

Nearby will be brilliant Venus (mag -3.9). It will make a close approach to Mercury on February 27, passing within 4°30′ from it. Venus will be in the neighboring constellation Aquarius, also near the western horizon. It will be the brightest dot in that direction — and in the entire sky.

Clench your hand into a fist and hold it at arm’s length. About that distance above Venus, you’ll spot golden Saturn (mag 1.0) in Pisces. Its steady, yellowish glow makes it stand out from nearby stars.

With a pair of powerful binoculars or a telescope, look less than 1° from Saturn — also in Pisces — to see Neptune (mag 7.8). This distant planet is too faint for the naked eye and requires effort to observe. By the way, on February 16, Neptune and Saturn will have their final conjunction in a series of three. It will be the last time they appear this close together until the year 2132!

     Solar System planets on February 28, 2026.

Look higher in the sky and slightly to the south to find Uranus (mag 5.8) in Taurus. Under perfect dark-sky conditions, it theoretically can be seen without optical aid, but binoculars make spotting it much easier. About 5° (roughly three finger widths) to the west are the Pleiades (mag 1.2), which are bright enough to be seen even from a city. If you have trouble finding Uranus, try the free Star Walk 2 app, which can help you locate planets and stars in real time.

The final planet in the alignment is Jupiter (mag -2.4), the second-brightest planet in the night sky. You’ll find it in the east, in Gemini, near the 90%-illuminated Moon. On February 27, the Moon and Jupiter will make a close approach, passing within 3°54′ of each other.

What happens when the planets align?

Some people, especially on social media, falsely claim that alignments can cause tsunamis, earthquakes, and other global disasters due to the gravitational forces of other planets. This nonsense has been repeatedly debunked. In reality, alignments do not affect gravity or human life, but they are cool astronomical events.

Such speculations are based on the fact that not everyone understands how planetary alignments work. When planets align in the sky from the Earth’s point of view, it doesn’t mean they form a straight line in space. On this chart, you can see how planets will actually be positioned in the Solar System during a large planetary alignment on February 28, 2026.

Only two objects in our Solar System have a noticeable effect on Earth's gravity: the Moon and the Sun. Twice each month, when the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up during new or full Moon phases, their combined gravity creates exceptionally high tides.

Some people mistakenly think that if a line-up of only three objects causes higher tides, then the alignment of all planets means a tremendous gravitational impact on Earth. However, it is not the number of objects that matters, but their proximity and mass. The Moon’s gravity affects Earth because it’s very close, and the Sun affects us because it’s extremely massive (about 1,000 times bigger than the largest planet, Jupiter). Meanwhile, planets in our system are too far apart to strongly affect each other with gravity.

Spiritual meaning of planetary alignments

Some people believe that planets can influence their lives. For instance, Mercury impacts communication and thinking, Venus — relationships and love, and Uranus represents change, innovations, and rebellion.

Alignments of several planets are often described as events that "enhance the flow of cosmic energy on Earth" and "offer a unique opportunity to tap into the energy of the cosmos, empowering personal growth and transformations".

However, there is no scientific proof that planetary alignments influence our bodies, behavior, or destiny. If you feel energized or inspired to take up a new hobby, that's great — just remember that it's not controlled by the planets.

The upcoming planetary alignments

Plan your planetary observations for the next few years and beyond! And don’t miss the next planetary alignment – described in detail at the beginning of the article and regularly updated.

Not all parts of the world have the same view of planetary alignments. Due to the position of the ecliptic on the celestial sphere, certain planets may not be visible from where you live. Therefore, please keep in mind that the following list of planetary alignments is a general overview. The listed dates indicate when the planets can be clearly seen from most locations worldwide. If you miss this precise date, don't worry — the alignment is typically visible for a few days before and after the given date.

Here are the upcoming planetary alignments that will occur in 2026:

• February 28, 2026: a large evening alignment of Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter.
• April 18, 2026: a small morning alignment of Saturn, Mars, Mercury, and Neptune.
• June 12, 2026: a mini evening alignment of Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus.
• August 12, 2026: a large morning alignment of Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune.
• November 14, 2026: a small morning alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.

To check if a specific planetary alignment is entirely visible from your location, use the Star Walk 2 app. Open the "Planets" section in the Menu and tap "☆ Best nights to see planets". You’ll find a list of date ranges when several planets align in your sky. The date in the middle marks when planets align in the smallest sector of the sky in your location. Tap any alignment to jump to that date.

You'll see key details like planets’ rise and set times, brightness, and night duration (when the Sun is below the horizon).

Use the animated scheme to watch how the planets move across the sky on that date and pick the best time for viewing.

Sri Lankans can witness a rare celestial event as seven planets align in a row from today (25) to 28 February , according to Prof. Chandana Jayaratne of the University of Colombo.

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, while Neptune and Uranus require a telescope. 

Another alignment of four planets is expected in August 2025.