Stargazers will be able to experience a rare celestial event Friday when all of Earth's neighboring planets are visible for a "planet parade."
The planetary alignment, which has been ongoing in some capacity for weeks, will reach its peak on Feb. 28 when stargazers have the best chance to see all seven planets, albeit not with the naked eye.
A planetary alignment of this magnitude will not happen again for more than a decade, according to TODAY.
What is a planetary alignment?
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A planetary alignment occurs anytime any planets in our solar system appear close together on the same elliptic line, according to NASA. That in itself is not unusual but it is unique when spectators have the opportunity to see multiple planets in line with the naked eye.
The term "planet parade" is an informal way of referring to the phenomenon.
What planets will be visible from San Diego?
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While all seven planets will be able to be seen during this planetary alignment, not all will be visible with the naked eye. The best way to spot all seven is by facing west with a telescope after sunset.
"Alignment means that at this one moment, all of the seven planets can be seen," Michael Shanahan, the director of the Liberty Science Center Planetarium in New Jersey, tells TODAY.com. "Some will be blazing bright and amazing, while others will require binoculars or a small telescope to see."
It will be possible to see Venus, Mars and Jupiter. Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will be difficult to see without aid. The most challenging planet to spot will be Mercury -- the closest to the sun.
"They say that one person in 1,000 ever sees Mercury and knows they’re seeing it," Shanahan says. "You only see it near the sun in the sky when it emerges for a few minutes at sunset or coming up right before dawn."
A big reason Feb. 28 has been pegged as the best chance to view all the planets is because it offers the best chance to see Mercury, TODAY reports.
What makes the planetary alignment so rare?
While it's common to see two planets appear close together in the night sky, the celestial phenomenon — known as a conjunction — is much more rare when more planets are involved. After June, the planets will begin to spread out in the predawn sky, "so much so that Venus and Saturn will make their exits as morning objects for most observers by September," according to NASA.
When was the last time the planets aligned?
A five-planet alignment was visible in San Diego in June 2022 and six planets aligned in August 2024.
When is the next time a major planetary alignment will occur?
NASA says the next time stargazers can enjoy a planetary alignment is in late August 2025, but it will not be to the same extreme as this month's event; four planets will be visible at once before sunrise. That won't happen again until October 2028. The next time five planets will be visible at once will be in 2034. And, all seven planets won't be visible together until 2040, Shanahan said.
NBC 7 San Diego's news partner 'TODAY' contributed to this report.
