Seven planets set to align over UK skies in ‘planetary parade’ this week - here’s how to spot the rare spectacle

In a rare celestial event, known as a ‘planetary parade’, the planets will be aligned over the UK night sky.

Stargazers are in for a special treat as Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, and Saturn will all be briefly visible in the evening sky.

It will be the last time this many planets will be visible at the same time, with four of them visible with the naked eye - Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the parade, and how to make sure you have a chance of spotting all seven planets.

As the planets orbit Earth, they occasionally line up in space, according to NASA.

This phenomenon is called an ‘alignment’, during which the planets are visible in a line or an arc, especially as they are viewed from Earth.

"Planetary alignments, where multiple planets appear close together in the sky, occur periodically but are relatively rare," Dr Shyam Balaji, a researcher in astroparticle physics and cosmology at King's College London, said last month.

He added that six or more planets happen every few decades, but seven planets is even rarer than this.

In fact, six planets are already aligned in the sky, and you can already spot these - but Mercury is set to arrive on February 28, to complete the formation.

Experts say the best time to catch the alignment is just after sunset, as the stars start to show up in the evening sky.

While most of the planets will be visible with the naked eye, you’ll need a pair of binoculars or a telescope to catch Neptune or Uranus.

NASA has given some advice on where you should be looking to see each planet. Mercury will appear bright, just above the horizon, while Venus will show up on the west. Look high in the east for Mars, straight up for Jupiter, and low in the west for Saturn.

Make sure to take the opportunity to watch the parade, as all seven planets won’t align again until September 2040.