On 28 February, a rare alignment of seven planets will be visible from Earth, including Mercury joining six others already visible in the night sky: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

While such alignments are spectacular for stargazers, they also have scientific significance.

Planetary alignments can provide insights into our Solar System, such as the potential influence on solar activity.

Historically, alignments have aided space missions, like the Voyager spacecraft’s “Grand Tour” of the outer planets.

Alignments are also useful for studying exoplanets and distant galaxies, as they help observe atmospheres, detect life, and probe the universe through gravitational lensing, the BBC has reported.

While these events are often coincidental, they continue to be a valuable tool for scientific exploration.

Written by B.C. Begley