Rare six-planet parade to appear in night sky. Will it be visible in Fresno?
Six planets will soon march across the California night sky.
The rare planet parade will appear right before the calendars turn to March, according to NASA.
What’s the best time to view the planetary alignment — and will it be visible in Fresno?
Here’s what to know:
When will planet parade appear in the night sky?
While planets are technically always aligned along the ecliptic plane, so-called “planet parades” offer a “special” chance to see several heavenly bodies at the same time, NASA said.
California stargazers able to see Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter shortly after sunset on Saturday, Feb. 28, according to the space agency.
“Four of those planets will be visible to the unaided eye, weather permitting,” NASA said.
The planets “don’t cluster in one place — they stretch across the sky,” astronomy app StarWalk said on its website.
The best viewing window starts about 30 minutes after sunset, according to StarWalk.
The sun will set at 5:52 p.m. in Fresno on Saturday, according to online clock Time and Date.
Which planets can I see without a telescope?
While Venus, Saturn and Jupiter should be visible to the naked eye on Saturday, you’ll need a telescope to view Uranus and Neptune because of their distances from Earth, NASA said.
“Mercury can sometimes be harder to spot, too,” due to its proximity to the sun, the space agency said.
“On most nights, weather permitting, you can spot at least one bright planet in the night sky,” NASA public engagement specialist Preston Dyches wrote in February 2025. “While two or three planets are commonly visible in the hours around sunset, occasionally four or five bright planets can be seen simultaneously with the naked eye.”
Those four- or five-planet lineups “typically occur every few years,” NASA said.
The next opportunity to witness this many planets at once won’t come until October 2028.
Will planetary alignment be visible in Fresno?
If you’re hoping to get a glimpse of the planet parade in Fresno, you may be out of luck.
According to the National Weather Service’s latest seven-day forecast, Fresno residents can expect “mostly cloudy” skies on Saturday night.
What’s in the weather forecast for Fresno?
Fresno could experience less-than-clear skies for the next few days, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service issued a dense fog advisory for cities including Fresno, Merced, Clovis, Reedley and Sanger that will remain in effect through 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 27.
Visibility could drop to “one quarter mile or less in dense fog,” the weather service said in its advisory, making “driving conditions hazardous” on local roads.
Friday will be partly sunny with a high temperature of about 74 degrees before the clouds roll in and the temperature drops to a low of around 57, according to the weather service.
Saturday will be partly sunny with a high near 79 and an overnight low around 57.
Sunday will be mostly cloudy with a high of about 71 and an overnight low of 52.
There’s a 20% chance of rain after 10 p.m. Sunday, the weather service said.
This story was originally published February 27, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Rare six-planet parade to appear in night sky. Will it be visible in Fresno?."
