LIVE: A Seven-Planet Sight to See

FARGO — There’s just something magical about the number seven. Lucky number seven, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the seven seas, the seven wonders of the world.

And tonight, you can see a really special group of sevens take their places in the night sky.

It’s a rare glimpse of all of the seven other planets of our solar system lined up in the sky at the same time.

And that’s got scientists at MSUM’s planetarium excited, says MSUM’s Emily Watson.

It’s not unusual to see a couple of planets visible together in the night sky, but Friday night, February 28, the seven-planet parade will be completed.

Watson says the lineup happens along a plane called the elliptical.

In order to have your best chance at glimpsing the celestial event, you want to get to a spot with a clear view of the sky, and have a pair of binoculars or a telescope handy.

You’ll want to be in place right as the sunset completes.

Tonight’s clear skies will help put us in the best position possible for viewing, as will the new moon.

It will cut down on light interference to make the planets as visible as possible.

Watson joined the Morning Show to talk about why the planetary orbits so seldom line up like this for viewers on planet Earth, and about some of the other fun events coming up at the planetarium.

For more information:

https://www.mnstate.edu/academics/colleges-schools/cshe/planetarium/