Six planets line up for rare parade throughout February

Celestial spectacle will be at its most impressive on 28 February, when Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will align across the sky

Space enthusiasts are in for a treat at the end of this month as six planets will appear close together in the night sky.

The phenomenon, known as a planet parade or planetary alignment, occurs when at least four or five planets can be seen altogether, according to Nasa. On 28 February, stargazers will have the chance to spot Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune aligned closely across the sky – making this a rare planetary display.

They happen because the planets orbit the sun in roughly the same flat plane, known as the ecliptic plane. Although each planet travels at a different speed and distance, there are times when several of them appear to line up from Earth’s perspective.

The alignment is purely a visual effect since in reality, the planets remain anywhere from millions to billions of kilometres apart.