Sky gazers across the U.S. will have a chance to see an extraordinary celestial event on Friday as all of the planets in our solar system will appear in the evening sky.
This phenomenon known as a “planet parade,” will feature Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all visible at the same time along a line or arc in the sky, NASA says. Though “planet parade” is not an official astronomical term, it typically refers to when four or more planets are seen together in the sky.
The chance to observe all planets simultaneously is rare, but Preston Dyches, a public engagement specialist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, says that multiple planets have been visible in the sky since January.
“When you look across the sky, you’re looking out into the solar system and you’re looking from within the plane of the planets, this circular racetrack that all the planets are racing around as they orbit the sun,” Dyches tells NPR. “So you’re going to always see that as a line from the point of view of somebody on the racetrack looking at the other planets.”
While space enthusiasts will try to get a glimpse of this parade, astronomers like Pamela Gay, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, are also on the lookout for another celestial phenomenon that could overshadow the parade.
T Coronae Borealis, a binary star system nicknamed the “Blaze Star,” is located in the Northern Crown constellation and expected to become visible to the naked eye after a nova explosion. This system brightens nearly every 80 years, with the last recorded nova occurring in 1946. When it happens, the system will be so bright it can be seen on Earth without a telescope. The timing of the next nova is uncertain but Gay says it could happen soon.
“We’ve been waiting for this sucker to flare up and get super bright for several months. We know it’s coming,” Gay tells NPR. “It’s starting to show signs that it might be gearing up to flare into brightness.”
For those hoping to see a reunion with Pluto, which was considered the solar system’s ninth planet until it was redefined as a “dwarf planet,” in 2006, don’t get your hopes up. Pluto will be below the horizon during the parade, Gay says.
To catch a glimpse of the seven visible planets, astronomers recommend starting to look for them about half an hour after sunset. After that, Dyches says there will be a short window to see four planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter – as darkness falls. Mercury, Venus and Saturn will be located to the west, while Jupiter and Mars will be high overhead alongside Uranus and Neptune.
Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter will be visible to the naked eye but Uranus and Neptune will require a telescope to be seen after it gets dark, according to Dyches. Saturn will be quite difficult to see as it will be very close to the horizon amid the sun’s setting glow, and a telescope may also be necessary. Binoculars could also help in locating some of the planets, and sky-watching apps can assist users in pinpointing the positions of the planets.
If you miss this parade, you will have another chance to see it in late August when four planets will appear in the sky just before sunrise. After August, you’ll need to wait a while, as there will not be another planet parade until late October 2028, when five planets will be visible before sunrise.
