Is a planet parade happening? What to know before you look up into the sky this week

You’ve probably seen a few headlines and social media posts about a planetary parade unfolding this week, many of them talking of “six planets set to align perfectly in the night sky.”

It’s what’s known as a planetary parade, which happens when multiple planets appear to line up in the sky at once.

Here’s what to know:

Are the planets actually aligned?

Don’t get too excited.

The planets won’t be that aligned, and two of them require a telescope and some skill to see.

A rare “parade” of planets is happening this month, but what exactly does it mean and how can you see it? NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes explains.

Which planets can you see and when?

That being said, it may be worth a look on the few evenings we have clear enough skies this week. 

Skygazers can usually spot some of the planets after sunset, according to NASA.

The “planetary parade” technically peaks this Saturday, but we’ll still be able to see a few planets in the western sky after sunset the rest of the week.

On Saturday, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye if clear skies allow. Uranus and Neptune can only be spotted with binoculars and telescopes.

Where should you look?

Venus is the brightest planet so you can’t miss it. It’s follows the sun and sets about 30 minutes later. You’ll also see Saturn and Mercury up and slightly to the left of Venus. Neptune is just to the right of Saturn, but it’s very faint and you’ll likely need a telescope to see it. Uranus is more in the southern sky and Jupiter is the southeastern sky. Jupiter is easy to spot, but Uranus is also faint and may require a telescope.

How rare is this? 

The last one was a seven-planet “parade” last August and we’ll have another similar event in 2028.

“There really isn’t a scientific term for this. So planet parade is just one of those colloquial sort of terms,” said Jennifer Howell with the Adler Planetarium. “We wouldn’t call it an alignment either because … people think planets in a line and they’re not in a straight line.”

The good news is, we’ll get to see a total lunar eclipse or “blood moon” just a few days later, on Tuesday, March 3. 

The moon will turn red between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. 

The total lunar eclipse ends around 6 a.m., but it will still be partial as the moon sets and the sun rises closer to 6:30 a.m.

All of this is with the assumption that clouds stay away, of course.