Star-gazing fans, get ready; a rare natural phenomenon is set to take place in the sky this week – and it’s your last chance to see it until it happens again in 2040.

The phenomenon is known as a ‘planetary parade’, when several planets in our solar system appear to line up in the sky from Earth’s perspective, making them visible at the same time. This parade is an especially rare sight as seven planets will be visible at once: Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury and Saturn.

Your best chance to see as many of the planets as possible will be just after sunset on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week (25, 26, 27 and 28 February).

To increase your chances of seeing the planetary parade, head somewhere with a good view of the horizon – ideally with clear skies and minimal light pollution – but be ready, as your window to see all seven planets will last for only a brief few minutes, just after sunset.

Three of the planets – Venus, Jupiter and Mars – will be easily visible to the naked eye as they’ll be clear in the night sky for a long time. Venus and Jupiter should be easy to spot due to their brightness, while Mars will have a reddish hue.

Saturn and Mercury will be a little harder to spot as they’ll already be low on the horizon, setting not long after the sun has, and you’ll need a telescope to spot Uranus and Neptune as they’re the furthest away.

Images: Getty