Will there be a big planetary alignment at the end of the month? What to know

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Many recent articles are overstating a “rare planetary alignment” expected later this month.

While several planets will be visible in the evening sky, it will not be the dramatic all-planets-lined-up display as some headlines suggest.

By Feb. 25, Venus will be easy to spot in the bright twilight sky. However, Saturn, Mercury and Neptune will be much more difficult to see because they sit low in the evening light. Mercury will also continue fading in brightness as we move toward the end of the month.

You may be able to briefly spot Saturn in very clear twilight conditions. Uranus could be visible near the Pleiades after twilight ends, but only with a good pair of binoculars or a telescope.

Meanwhile, Jupiter will be the easiest planet to find. It will be visible much of the night, first appearing to the east-southeast during the evening hours.

The bottom line is that some planets will be visible, but we will not see a clear lineup of all the planets across the evening sky.

A much better sky show is coming

One big event that will be happening is a total lunar eclipse and blood moon in early March.

For our area, the total lunar eclipse begins at 5:04 a.m. on March 3. During totality, the moon will pass fully into Earth’s shadow and take on the familiar reddish glow, often called a blood moon.

We should see the eclipse in progress locally, but the very end of the event will occur after sunrise, meaning we’ll miss the final stages.

Stay tuned for more updates as we countdown to this event. Hopefully, the weather cooperates!

Be sure to check the WBRC First Alert Weather app for the latest. Download it on Android and Apple devices.