6-planet parade captured across nearly 180 degrees of sky

Award-winning astrophotographer Josh Dury photographed a rare six-planet alignment from England on Feb. 24, 2026, using an ultra-wide fisheye lens to span nearly 180 degrees; Mars was not part of the parade.

An award-winning astrophotographer documented a rare six-planet parade in the U.K. sky on Feb. 24, 2026. The image was taken from England's southern coast shortly after sunset and covers nearly 180 degrees of sky. Most of the visible planets appeared in the photo, though Mars was on the opposite side of the Sun and not visible at that time. The scene combined bright twilight, a first-quarter Moon, and several faint planets near familiar star groupings. Noted details: - Photographer and location: Josh Dury captured the image from the southern coast of England at about 6:35 p.m. local time on Feb. 24, 2026. - Planets shown: The parade included six planets reported in the article — Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — with Mars absent from the view. - Relative positions: The Moon and Jupiter were clearly visible; Uranus was reported near the Pleiades star cluster (M45), and Neptune was reported near Saturn. - Visibility window: The article notes that some of these planets were likely visible above the horizon through Feb. 28, though seeing all at once depended on sky conditions and viewing angle. - Equipment and technique: Dury used a Sigma 15mm diagonal fisheye lens and a NiSi Starsoft diffuse filter to increase the planets' surface brightness and capture the wide field of view. - Photo composition: Dury included a telecommunication memorial in the frame and said framing was challenging because the parade spanned nearly 180 degrees and daylight fading and the Moon's brightness affected exposures. Summary: The photograph documents a rare, wide-ranging alignment of six planets and related sky features and highlights the technical challenges of capturing such a broad scene. The article reports that some planets remained visible through Feb. 28, 2026, while the full visibility of the parade depended on local sky conditions and viewing geometry.