Six Planets Over California
Six Planets Over California
A February Evening When the Solar System Lines Up
On the evening of February 28, 2026, Californians from the desert to the Pacific coast will have a chance to watch a quiet celestial choreography unfold. Astronomers call it a “planetary alignment” — six planets appearing along the same arc of sky after sunset — but the experience will feel less like an event and more like a moment of stillness shared across the state.
From Mercury and Venus near the fading glow of the Sun to bright Jupiter rising higher overhead, the planets will trace the ancient pathway known as the ecliptic, the same sky-road navigators and astronomers have followed for centuries. They are not physically lined up in space — only visually aligned from our vantage point on Earth — yet the illusion is powerful, a reminder that perspective shapes how we see the universe.
Watching From the California Coast:
Along the Pacific — especially in places like San Francisco — viewers will enjoy one of the simplest horizons imaginable: open ocean to the west. With nothing but water beneath the sunset, the lowest planets may linger a little longer in view.
Find a spot facing the western sea, allow your eyes to adjust as twilight deepens, and begin by locating Jupiter, the brightest anchor in the sky. From there, your gaze can drift downward toward the sunset glow, where Venus and Saturn hover close to the horizon. Mercury, elusive and fleeting, may appear briefly before slipping into the ocean haze.
The experience along the coast feels almost nautical. The planets seem to sail toward the horizon like distant vessels, disappearing one by one into the evening — a reminder that California’s maritime identity has always been tied to the sky as much as to the sea.
Watching From the Desert — Palm Springs and the Shadow of San Jacinto:
In the Coachella Valley, the same alignment takes on a different character. The towering mass of Mt. San Jacinto rises west of Palm Springs, lifting the “local horizon” higher than the true one. For observers in central Palm Springs, this means the lowest planets may vanish earlier than expected — hidden behind the mountain long before they technically set.
The solution is simple: begin looking sooner, roughly 15–20 minutes after sunset, or consider driving a bit east in the valley, where the western view opens and the mountains no longer block the sky. Even if Mercury or Saturn slip behind the ridgeline, Jupiter will remain bright and unmistakable, offering a reliable guidepost for the rest of the lineup.
What changes between coast and desert is not the sky itself, but the geography beneath it. California’s landscapes — cliffs, mountains, and valleys — shape how each community experiences the same cosmic moment.
A Shared Alignment:
Planetary parades are not rare in astronomical terms, yet seeing so many worlds gathered in one evening sky feels quietly extraordinary. The alignment will be visible for several nights, but around February 28 the planets appear most closely grouped, forming a gentle arc that mirrors the path of the Sun.
There is a timelessness to such evenings. Ancient observers watched similar alignments without knowing the physics behind them; Renaissance astronomers sketched them into early charts; modern Californians might photograph them from a beach in San Francisco or a patio in Palm Springs. The technology changes, but the human instinct to look up remains the same.
As twilight fades across the state — waves rolling in along the Pacific, desert air cooling beneath the San Jacinto peaks — the planets will slowly sink from view. No grand finale, no dramatic flash. Just the steady motion of a solar system revealing itself for a brief moment to anyone willing to pause, face west, and watch the sky move.
