FILE - People look up to the sky from an observatory near the village of Avren, Bulgaria, Aug. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Petar Petrov, File)
PP HK**TOK**NEW YORK (AP) — Seven planets grace the sky at the end of February in what's known as a planetary parade, though some will be difficult to spot with the naked eye.
These happen when several planets appear to line up in at once. They're not in a straight line, but are close together on one side of the sun.
The astronomical linkup is fairly common and can happen at least every year depending on the number of planets. A parade of four or five planets visible to the naked eye happens every few years, according to NASA.
A similar parade took place last June, but only two planets could be seen without any special equipment. Six planets were visible in January — four to the naked eye — and now a dim Mercury joins the gang.
This month, Venus, Mars and Jupiter are visible to the naked eye. A faint Saturn and Mercury are close to the horizon, making them hard to spot. Uranus and Neptune can be glimpsed with binoculars and telescopes.
To get in on the sighting, go outside on a clear, cloudless night after sunset. The planets will shine brighter than the stars, and Mars will look like a reddish-orange dot. Stargazing apps may help with where to look.
The planets will slowly make their exit through the spring.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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