A six-planet parade is taking over the sky tomorrow. Here is how to see it from anywhere in the U.S.

Look up on Saturday and you might catch something special: a six-planet “parade” stretching across the evening sky. While not a technical term, the near-alignment of six planets is a bit like a celestial party, if you're lucky enough to have clear skies. And seeing this many planets visible at once is uncommon enough to make it worth stepping outside.

When can you see the planet parade?

According to NASA, the show peaks on the evening of Saturday, February 28. Head out about 30 minutes to an hour after sunset and face west. Some of the planets will dip below the horizon fairly quickly, and the glow of twilight can make the faintest ones tricky to spot. Clear skies are essential. A hazy horizon or city glare could make seeing them difficult.

Which planets will be visible?

Six planets will be in view: Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter.

How to see the planet parade

Three of the planets (Venus, Saturn, Jupiter) should be visible to the naked eye, weather permitting. Venus will be the easiest to find. It’s the brightest planet in our sky and follows the Sun down, setting roughly half an hour later.

Near Venus, look slightly up and to the left to find Saturn and Mercury. Mercury may be low and faint, so binoculars could help. Jupiter will shine in the southeastern sky and is also easy to pick out thanks to its steady brightness.

Uranus and Neptune are both faint and will require binoculars or, ideally, a small telescope. Neptune sits just to the right of Saturn but is especially dim. Uranus appears farther south.

How often does a planet parade happen?

It’s not a once-in-a-lifetime event, but it’s not an annual one either. A seven-planet parade happened last August. As NASA explains, groupings happen because the planets share roughly the same plane of orbit around the Sun. From our viewpoint on Earth, that can make them appear to cluster along the same path across the sky.

When will a planet parade happen next?

A five-planet parade is expected to be visible in October 2028.

Bonus celestial event

Make plans to look up again on Tuesday, March 3, as a total lunar eclipse can be viewed between 5am and 6am that morning. The Moon will turn a deep red, often called a “blood moon,” before totality ends around 6am.