Rare Parade of All Seven Planets

Planetary parades afford an uncommon opportunity to look up and appreciate our place in our solar system, with diverse worlds arrayed across the sky before our very eyes.

NASA describing an event where many planets can be seen in the sky at once.

Why It Matters: While one or two planets can usually be spotted in the sky around sunset time, four or five can occasionally be seen with the naked eye. This is known as a “planet parade” and doesn’t happen every year. On Friday, you will be able to see the rare celestial event, and seven planets will appear in a line or arc across the night sky.

How to Catch A Glimpse:

• Astronomers recommend starting to look for the planets about 90 minutes after sunset.
• Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter will be visible to the naked eye, but you will need a telescope to see Uranus, Neptune and possibly Saturn once it gets dark, according to scientists.
• Having a clear evening is key in order to see the planets.
• If you miss it, a four-planet parade will appear in late August just before sunrise. After that, you’ll have to wait another three years.

Read More: A rare ‘parade’ of all 7 planets will move across the night sky this week (NPR)