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Whether it's the West Indian Day Parade or the Pride Parade, New Yorkers love to see a good procession.
What you probably didn't know is that planets have their parades too, and this week, New Yorkers will be able to witness one of them. Seven planets—Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury and Saturn—are about to align along the Milky Way and will be visible from the tristate area from Wednesday, February 26, until Friday, February 28.
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What time is best to see the Parade of Planets?
The alignment will be most visible just after sunset, which now happens around 5:44pm. The best nights to see it will be tonight, Wednesday, February 26, or Friday, February 28, since the forecast is predicting overcast skies all of Thursday.
How often does a Planet Parade happen?
Planetary parades happen every few years, and the last time one was visible was June 3, 2024. That time, though, only six planets were in alignment.
Can you see it without a telescope?
The short answer is “no”—you won't be able to appreciate the full planetary parade without a telescope. Uranus and Neptune will be too dim to be able to see without a telescope, while Mercury and Saturn will be too far out in the horizon to be spotted with the naked eye, per NBC. That means that only Mars, Jupiter and Venus will be visible without a telescope.
In short, you should try and get access to a telescope or binoculars if you want to actually see the planetary alignment in its full splendor.
Places around NYC to watch the Planet Parade
Bring your telescope or binoculars to a west-facing waterfront just before sunset, per CBS News. The best time to arrive will be just before sunset, which will give you enough time to get settled before prime viewing conditions.
If you need some guidance, there are apps that will tell you where to look, including Star Walk, Star Tracker, and Sky Map, per CNBC.