Parade Of Planets: How To See All 7 Planets Align Over CA

CALIFORNIA — Stargazers in California are in for a treat to close out February as all seven planets in our solar system grace the sky in what’s known as a planetary parade.

These planetary hangouts happen when several planets appear to line up in the night sky at once. They’re not in a straight line, but are close together on one side of the sun. Some of them will be difficult to spot with the naked eye.

Over the coming days, 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. The planets will slowly make their exit through the spring.

If you want to see the planets, 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 like Sky Guide will tell you where to look, and point out all the other stars in the sky.

Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Mercury will all be shining brightly during the total lunar eclipse, or “blood moon” overnight March 13-14.

Whether you’ll be able to see the spectacle depends on the weather, of course. The National Weather Service forecast for Friday and through the weekend calls for partly cloudy skies throughout much of the state, including inland. One of the few places predicted to have clear skies on Friday is Sacramento.

• Related: Total Lunar Eclipse Is Coming: When To See The ‘Blood’ Moon

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The Associated Press contributed reporting.