There's a planetary parade tonight, and here's how you can see it

Stargazers can expect a show in the night sky this week — a planetary parade when six planets gather close to each other in alignment.

This rare event that includes the planets Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn will be visible after the sun goes down on Tuesday

"After sunset, you'd see Mars in the east. Moving toward the south and overhead, you'd see Jupiter. Toward the west, you'll see Saturn and Venus, which are quite close to each other," said Parshati Patel, an astrophysicist and science communicator with Stellar Dreams.

"You can draw a line that's an arc, but it's not an alignment like what you would have in your mind," she said.

Patel said people would need binoculars or a telescope to see Neptune and Uranus, which fall between Saturn and Venus in the parade. There are also phone apps available, such as Stellarium or Sky Tonight, to help locate the planets if you're having trouble spotting them.

Next planetary alignment in 2040

Planetary alignments are not very common, but Patel said we've been lucky this year, as we've had several alignments involving four or more planets. The last one was in April last year, around the time of the solar eclipse, and the next one won't occur until 2040.

"For me, it's pure joy. Even with something as simple as binoculars, you can see Saturn's rings or Jupiter's moons. It's incredible to think how far away these planets are and yet how accessible they are with basic tools," said Patel.

"What's most exciting is that humans have been observing the skies for thousands of years. Being part of that tradition, as an astronomer, is pretty exciting."