This week, a rare astrological phenomenon is happening in our night sky. All seven other planets in our solar system will be visible from North America, in a display known as the planet parade.

Allison Jaynes, associate professor in the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Iowa, explained that most planets are close to the ecliptic plane.

“[It’s] sort of just like a flat sheet of paper that intersects through the middle of the sun and the Earth, and all the other planets are just kind of moving around the sun on that flat sheet of paper,” Jaynes explained on River to River. “So they're often in an alignment of some kind.”

What is special about this week is that the planets happen to be on the same side of the sun at the same time, so stargazers in Iowa will be able to see the planets simultaneously.

“It doesn't happen very often, and in fact, it won't happen again until 2040,” Jaynes said.

Most of these planets can be seen with the naked eye on a clear night, with the exception of Uranus and Neptune, the planets furthest away from the sun. However, they'll be visible with an at-home telescope or high-powered binoculars.

Telescope users will also be able to see the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter.

When locating the planets in the sky, the red color of Mars makes it easy to identify. Jupiter and Saturn will look like bright white stars. Saturn will be low in the sky, so finding a place to view the parade without mountains or buildings obstructing the sky is key.

If you want an additional tool to understand what you’re looking at, Jaynes recommends using the app Stellarium. In the app, you can point your phone at the night sky and it will label what you're looking at.

Friday, Feb. 28 is the day the planets will be most closely clustered together, but it will be possible to see them a few days before and after Friday.