Grab your binoculars or telescope tonight to catch the 'planet parade'
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Experts advise stargazers to get away from city lights for the best views.
A stunning cosmic getaway is in store for residents of the United States on Friday evening as seven planets will align in a spectacular display — dubbed a planet parade — that can be seen without traveling far from home. Such a sight won’t be visible again until 2040.
"Seven planets will be visible in the evening sky," Bill Cooke, NASA astronomer based at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, told Fox News Digital.
"And three of them are going to be easily visible."
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Planet hunters hoping to catch a glimpse of the spectacular display need just a few simple items for the optimal experience: clear weather, a dark sky and a pair of binoculars or a telescope to see the more elusive ones.
The action begins right at sunset — after which there will only be a 30-minute window in which all seven planets can be seen in alignment above the horizon.
Step outside and look into the night's sky to see all seven planets in the solar system on full display. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
"If you look out west after sunset, very close to the sun will be the planet Saturn," Cooke said.
"But it'll be so close, it'll be sort of lost in the twilight glare — so you'll need a pair of binoculars."
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Saturn will be about nine degrees above the horizon.
"You'll have about 20 minutes to see Saturn, which will set very soon after sunset," Cooke said.
Bill Cooke, NASA astronomer based at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, spoke with Fox News Digital about the out-of-this-world display that will be visible on Friday evening. (NASA)
"So if you want to catch all seven, you’ve got this narrow window starting with Saturn."
Next on the list will be the planet Neptune.
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"Neptune will require a telescope — no ifs, ands or buts about it," Cooke said.
Up a little higher will be the planet Mercury, which Cooke said will also require binoculars.
But then there will be three planets very easily visible.
You will be able to see the planet Mercury through a pair of binoculars, said an expert. (iStock)
"Next will be the brightest thing in the sky outside of the moon," he said. "The planet Venus. It'll be that bright starlike thing people see in the west after sunset. Easy-peasy to see."
After Venus, there will be a dim planet that’s hard to see.
"Those are the three easy targets for your eyes. Saturn, Mercury and Uranus you can see with a pair of binoculars — but Neptune would require a telescope."
— Bill Cooke
"If you go farther east, you'll need a pair of binoculars to see the planet Uranus," Cooke said.
After Uranus will be another bright-looking star, which is the planet Jupiter.
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"And after Jupiter, the farthest east of all of them will be the planet Mars," Cooke said, "which will look like this pale, reddish-looking star. Those are your planets."
If you’ve got a clear night and a relatively dark sky, seeing at least three planets is nearly a sure thing.
Not all planets will require the assistance of binoculars or a telescope to be seen; some will be visible to the naked eye. (iStock)
"Venus will knock your eyes out, so you can't miss it," Cooke said.
"Jupiter, which is also very bright, and Mars — those are the three easy targets for your eyes. Saturn, Mercury and Uranus you can see with a pair of binoculars, but Neptune would require a telescope."
Cooke noted that a planetarium phone app can help the untrained eye identify the planets — and several of them are free and good for beginners.
You don’t have to travel to West Texas or Utah to see the planet parade.
Just getting outside the city limits can significantly improve the effects of light pollution, which fades the contrast between stars and planets and the night sky.
It is best to travel outside the city limits to avoid any potential physical obstructions and find an open sky. (iStock)
It also reduces physical obstructions, such as tall buildings.
The next time all seven planets will form a parade is in 2040, but in Oct. 2028 there will be another parade involving five planets.
"This one is a bit unusual in that, in theory, all seven are visible in the evening sky at the same time," Cooke said.
"Even with phones, like the modern Androids or iPhones, you can set that sucker up to take a sequence of images and catch the entire eclipse."
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"We had a planet parade last year with a few bright planets, but not all seven visible at the same time."
A few other celestial events this year may also be of interest to amateur stargazers. Next up is a blood moon, set for March 13-14.
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"Seeing the moon turn blood-red is always fun," Cooke said. "A total lunar eclipse creates a blood moon, and it’s one of those events worth staying up for."
Cooke said the phenomenon occurs when the Earth passes directly between the sun and moon.
Last year there was a smaller planet parade with only some planets visible and five out of the major seven will be seen in 2028. (iStock)
"When the moon passes into earth’s shadow, you would think it would turn black," Cooke said, "but because the atmosphere bends light, especially the red part of the spectrum, the moon looks like it's red."
He added that the Blood Moon is a good opportunity for even amateur photographers to capture a celestial event.
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"Now even with phones, like the modern Androids or iPhones, you can set that sucker up to take a sequence of images and catch the entire eclipse," he said.
"So not only can you see it, but you can create a record of it, simply with your phone camera."
A full planet parade showing all seven planets will not be seen again until 2040. (Apollo 17; Apollo 8; Apollo 12; Pioneer Venus; Voyager I; Mariner 10; Pioneer 11.)
Several meteor showers — Lyrid, Perseids and Geminids — also will grace the skies throughout the year, but Cooke has his favorites.
"There are two good meteor showers every year," he said.
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"The Perseids and the Giminids. Everything else is just OK."
The Persieds meteor shower will take place August 12-13, but Cooke said the moon will interfere a bit with it this year.
There are all sorts of cosmic phenoms that will be visible this year, including the planet parade on Friday evening, Fe. 28, that will showcase seven planets in the solar system. (iStock)
The most impressive meteor shower of the year will be the Geminis in mid-December.
"That's going to be your big one," Cooke said.
"The Lyrid is a moderate-strength shower," he said.
"To be honest with you, I wouldn't send anybody out to look at that one."
Gretchen Eichenberg is a contributing reporter for Fox News Digital.
