At the end of February, six planets appeared together in the evening sky in what scientists call a planetary parade. The event happened when several planets gathered on one side of the sun and seemed close together from Earth. Although they were not in a perfect line, they formed a bright cluster after sunset. NASA explained that seeing four or five planets at once is uncommon, and six in one view is even more special. The display attracted sky watchers in many countries.

The planets were visible about an hour after sunset in the western sky. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn could be seen without equipment if clouds did not obstruct the view. Uranus and Neptune required binoculars or telescopes. An observer could tell the difference between stars and planets because stars usually twinkle while planets shine steadily. Experts encouraged people to move away from tall buildings and trees to improve visibility. The parade lasted for several days before Mercury slowly disappeared below the horizon.