In late February, the evening sky will feature a striking alignment of six visible planets. The planet parade can be observed from around 20 February and into early March. This is an early evening spectacle, best viewed shortly after sunset.
Look for Venus, Mercury and Saturn gathered low above the western horizon, setting within about an hour after sunset. Neptune appears close to Saturn. Jupiter stands about halfway up the eastern sky, while Uranus is high in the south, near the Pleiades star cluster.
In addition to offering a unique mountain experience, Gaustatoppen provides some of the best stargazing conditions in Eastern Norway. On Thursday 26 February, you may witness a rare alignment where the Moon and six planets are visible at the same time. Astronomers will be ready to help you spot them all, with and without telescopes, weather permitting. Here are the times to note if you would like to see the planets:
Moon: Visible throughout the evening
Sunset: 17:09
Mercury: Visible from approximately 18:30 to 19:15
Venus: Visible from approximately 18:30 to 18:50
Jupiter: Visible throughout the evening from sunset
Saturn: Visible from approximately 18:00 to 19:45
Uranus: Visible from approximately 19:00 and later in the evening, conditions permitting
Neptune: Visible from approximately 19:00 to 19:45, conditions permitting
