After last year’s Geminid meteor shower, the northern lights recently provided a spectacular celestial spectacle. Since then, it has been rather quiet in the night sky, but that is set to change this weekend. Then the planetary parade will light up the sky above Munich, a rare astronomical spectacle. The public observatory invites you to observe the constellation together.
Stars in a row
A planetary parade or planetary procession occurs when at least three planets appear in a line in the sky as seen from Earth. Such an event usually occurs once a year. Four or more planets are much rarer, and this weekend there will be six. Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, and Mercury are already lined up and can be spotted by you. Starting on Saturday, February 28, Venus will join the planetary parade and provide the celestial highlight of this constellation.
Public observatory event on the planetary parade
The Munich Public Observatory invites you to observe the planetary parade together on Saturday evening. You will gather on the observatory platform in the early evening hours to look up at the sky. Shortly after sunset, Venus and Jupiter will appear, followed by Mercury and Saturn. To see Uranus and Neptune, you will need to look through the telescopes. If the weather is good, you will be able to see all six planets in the darkness of the night. During the event, the staff of the public observatory will tell you more about the planetary parade and when you will be able to see such a constellation again.
The event at the public observatory will only take place in good weather and starts at 6 p.m. Tickets cost €15 and must be paid for in cash on site, but you can reserve seats in advance. If you’re still looking for a date idea for Saturday evening, this is a great option – provided you can reach the observatory despite the MVG strike. If you prefer to watch the planetary parade on your own, you should find a place with as little light pollution as possible and hope for a cloudless sky. If you then look west after sunset, you should be able to see at least four of the six planets.
📍 Location: Munich Public Observatory, Gisela-Stein-Str. corner of Ludwig-Jung-Bogen
📅 Date: February 28 from 6 p.m.
💶 Price information: €15