记得电影《哪吒2》里“六星连珠”和“十二金仙开会”的桥段吗？
今天（2月28日），正有类似的天文现象发生哦！太阳系中的土星、水星、海王星、金星、天王星、木星和火星正在上演“七星连珠”罕见天象。
Today (Feb 28), a similar celestial event is unfolding! A rare celestial phenomenon known as the "seven-planet alignment" is currently occurring in our solar system, featuring Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars positioned in a remarkable straight line.
2025年2月底的“七星连珠”示意图。图源：北京天文馆
鉴于中华民族自古以来对宇宙和自然的敬畏，以及对“观星祈福”传统的沿袭，该天象被部分自媒体渲染为“千年一遇”“能量汇聚”和“大吉之兆”，故不少网友也调侃，是时候“召唤神龙”和开启“逆天改命”了。
In Chinese culture, reverence for the cosmos and nature has been deeply rooted since ancient times, along with the tradition of "astrological divination for blessings". This event has been sensationalized by some self-publishing media as a "once-in-a-millennium convergence of cosmic energies" and an "auspicious cosmic sign". Netizens have humorously suggested it might be time to "summon the divine dragon" or "defy fate through cosmic intervention".
“七星连珠”的天象与中国传统文化中“天人合一”（harmony between heaven and humanity）、“道法自然”（following nature's order）的哲学思想有着深刻的内在关联。
This planetary alignment resonates profoundly with the traditional Chinese philosophical concepts of "harmony between heaven and humanity" and "following nature's order".
例如古代典籍《史记·天官书》就有记载：“五星合，是为易行，有德者受庆，无德者受殃。”明清民间流传的《烧饼歌》（The Pancake Song）则有着“乾坤气运转如轮，七星连珠定乾坤”的预言。
这些联想虽给天文学增添了不少神秘感，但小编提醒，我们在保持诗意仰望的同时，仍需用科学知识帮助理性认知。
上海天文馆的官方数据显示，太阳系各大行星围绕太阳公转的轨道平面基本一致，尽管是轨道倾角最大的水星，其倾斜角度也只有7°。
According to the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, all planets in our solar system orbit the sun within nearly the same plane. Even Mercury, which has the largest orbital inclination, tilts by only 7 degrees.
国家天文台的数据显示，由于它们的公转周期各不相同，水星绕太阳一圈大约需要88天，其次是金星大约需要225天，比地球公转时间365天更久的则是火星687天、木星11.9年、土星29.5年、天王星84年、海王星164.8年，这种周期差异使得七星连珠成为罕见的天文现象。
Data from the National Astronomical Observatories reveals stark differences in orbital periods: Mercury completes a solar orbit in 88 days, Venus in 225 days, Mars in 687 days, Jupiter in 11.9 years, Saturn in 29.5 years, Uranus in 84 years and Neptune in 164.8 years. These mismatched cycles make a seven-planet alignment exceptionally rare.
但网传“七星连珠”77年一遇，甚至“千年一遇”实则有夸大成分。
首先“七星连珠”并非是严格的天文学术语，只是当太阳系的七颗行星都在太阳一侧时形成的肉眼视觉情况。事实上“七星连珠”发生间隔并不均匀，在不同张角和空间视角定义下，连珠出现的情况和频率则各不相同。
The seven-planet alignment is not a strictly defined astronomical term but describes a visual phenomenon where seven planets appear on the same side of the sun. The frequency varies with angular spread criteria. For example, alignments with a 117 degree angular spread (like the current event) recur every three to five years.
“张角”（Angular spread）是指行星在天空分布的最大夹角，当张角越小时，连珠越紧密，行星几乎排列成一条直线，视觉上更为罕见；反之当张角越大，连珠就会越松散，行星分布范围更广，发生的频率就会越高。
Angular spread refers to the maximum angle between planets in the sky. The smaller the angular spread, the tighter the planetary alignment becomes, with the planets nearly forming a straight line and creating a rarer visual spectacle. Conversely, a larger angular spread leads to a looser alignment, where planets are scattered over a wider area, resulting in more frequent occurrences of such events.
现代天文学史研究者张培瑜先生所著的《伐纣天象与岁鼎五星聚》一文中提供的数据显示，五星会聚于10°范围之内的情况6000年以来仅发生过9次，平均需历时666.7年才发生一次。
而上海天文台的数据显示，今年2月28日前后的 “七星连珠”从最西端的土星到最东端的火星张角已达到了 117°。上海天文馆展教中心副研究馆员施韡表示，这种条件下的 “七星连珠”其实在三五年里就会发生一次，上一次比较适合观测的“七星连珠”是2022年6月中旬的凌晨，条件好于这次，因为当时土星、天王星、海王星的位置都更好。
According to data from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, the angular distance between Saturn in the far west and Mars in the far east during the seven-planet alignment around Feb 28 this year reached 117 degrees. Shi Wei, an associate research fellow at the Shanghai Astronomy Museum's Exhibition and Education Center, said that such seven-planet alignments occur roughly every three to five years. The last observable seven-planet alignment was in mid-June 2022, which had better conditions because the positions of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune were more favorable.
2022年6月初的“七星连珠”示意图。图源：北京天文馆
此外，部分民众也担忧连珠时行星相对集中，行星系统产生的太阳引潮力可能导致太阳活动增强，进而对地球造成负面影响。
Additionally, some people are concerned that the relative concentration of planets during the alignment might enhance the solar tidal force generated by the planetary system, potentially increasing solar activity and negatively impacting Earth.
但客观上来说，它们对地球的引力影响仍然远远小于太阳和月球，所以连珠并不会对地球的潮汐、气候、地质活动等产生实质性的影响。
However, objectively speaking, their combined gravitational influence on Earth remains far weaker than that of the sun and moon. Therefore, such planetary alignments have no discernible impact on Earth's tides, climate patterns, or geological activities.
既然是这样，“七星连珠”到底有什么影响呢？
当然是天文爱好者有机会一次看遍七大行星呀！
在视觉体验上，如果仅用肉眼观测，通常只能看到金星、木星、火星这三颗行星。原因是天王星和海王星因亮度过低，肉眼几乎不可见，而土星因过于接近太阳，所以容易湮没在黄昏的天光中。水星虽比土星晚十分钟落下，但需要有较为理想的观测条件才有机会看到。所以天文爱好者若想看到更多行星，可以抓紧准备一副双筒望远镜或天文望远镜哦！
In terms of visual experience, if you observe space with the naked eye, you can usually only see Venus, Jupiter and Mars. This is because Uranus and Neptune are too dim to be visible to the naked eye, and Saturn is often too close to the sun, making it easy to get lost in the twilight sky. Although Mercury sets 10 minutes later than Saturn, ideal observation conditions are needed to see it. Therefore, astronomy enthusiasts who want to see more planets should prepare a pair of binoculars or a telescope.
记者：闫东洁
实习生：方碧玲
China Daily精读计划
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