Today, August 28, 6 planets align in the sky

Astronomy enthusiasts almost anywhere in the world can observe the phenomenon of six planets gathering close together on one side of the Sun at the same time, according to Star Walk..

To locate planets and enhance the viewing experience, people can use the Sky Tonight app.

In the early morning, as seen from Earth, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn will be almost aligned in the sky. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye. Mercury will be closer to the horizon and harder to spot. To see Neptune and Uranus, observers will need a powerful telescope or binoculars.

This planetary alignment will not only last for one day but may last until after August 28. So if you miss it, astronomy enthusiasts can observe it after this day.

"The concept of planetary alignment is more about what is observed from the perspective of humans on Earth than the actual physical alignment in space," Nikhita Madhanpall, an astrophysicist at Wits University in South Africa, told Live Science..

A planetary conjunction occurs when two or more planets appear close to each other when viewed from Earth. It's important to note that these planets aren't actually close to each other. Even though they appear to be aligned to people on Earth, they're still incredibly far apart in space.

Madhanpall notes that planetary alignments have virtually no significant physical impact on Earth. "The only impact on life on Earth when the planets align is the amazing show in the sky," says Wayne Barkhouse, an astrophysicist at the University of North Dakota. "There's no risk of enhanced earthquakes or anything like that. The gravitational change that Earth experiences during any planetary alignment is negligible."