This month, a rare six-planet "alignment" will be visible to stargazers.
Soon after sunset on Saturday, February 28, a planetary alignment, also known as a "planet parade," will brighten up our night sky, according to the astronomy news website Space.com. But not every one of the six planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Venus and Mercury – will be visible to the unaided eye.
Planetary alignments happen every few months to every few years, during which three to five planets appear close to one another. Although small groupings are typical, a "parade" of six or seven planets is uncommon, according to NASA.
The best time to view the planets will be about 30 minutes to 1 hour after the sunset, while you are looking toward the western sky. Four of the planets – Saturn, Neptune, Venus and Mercury – will be low on the horizon and close to the sun and will only be visible for a brief period.
A nearly full waxing gibbous moon will appear with a 90.6% illumination, according to the University of Arizona's Catalina Sky Survey, which may make it difficult to view some of the planets.
