How to spot these seven planets in the night sky for last time until 2040 during 'rare' phenomenon

Seven planets will all be briefly visible in the evening sky and astronomy fanatics should definitely watch the sky this week as it won’t happen again for many years.

This rare phenomenon is known as a ‘planetary parade’ and the best chance to see as many planets as possible will be shortly after sunset on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week.

Four planets in our solar system - Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars will be visible to the naked eye. Saturn, however, will be harder to see because it will be low in the horizon. You will need a telescope to spot Uranus and Neptune.

The window to see all seven planets will be brief and the best chance to see them in formation will be from a place with a good view of the horizon and clear skies. It also won't happen again until 2040 - you have been warned!

So why is this planetary parade happening now? The planets in our solar system orbit the Sun along a similar flat plane to Earth's. Due to their varying speeds and distances from the Sun, there are times when they seem to align from our viewpoint on Earth, creating a breathtaking spectacle in the sky, even though they are still separated by immense distances in space.

Venus and Jupiter are said to be easier to spot because of how bright they are, and Mars will have its stunning reddish hue.

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How to spot these seven planets in the night sky

Dr Edward Bloomer, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the BBC people should avoid looking at their phones before trying to see the planets and to head to a location with minimal light pollution.

Spend time outside to allow your eyes to adjust to the light rather than expecting to see the planets as soon as you go out to see them.

Try to go to a location with an unobstructed view of the horizon.

Last month a planetary parade of six planets was visible. The planets were Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Good luck spotting the planets!

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