A pair of extraordinary space missions that have been headed out of the solar system for almost half a century are getting a new lease on life as NASA engineers order the Voyager 1 and 2 deep-space probes to shut down two instruments to save power.

After Friday's spectacle, a "planet parade" of this size won't appear in the night sky for several years, experts say.

The view was acquired on Sept. 14, 2017 at 19:59 UTC (spacecraft event time). The view was taken in visible light using the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera at a distance of 394,000 miles (634,000 kilometers) from Saturn. Image scale is about 11 miles (17 kilometers).

Prepare for a rare astronomical treat this Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, when a remarkable planetary alignment will feature seven planets.

On Feb. 28, seven planets—Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, and Saturn—will all grace the early evening sky. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars will be easy to spot with the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune will require binoculars or a small telescope.

This Friday, all seven planets will be in the night sky for a brief period. Join the cosmic spectacle and learn where to look for each planet!

After dusk on Friday night, seven planets are expected to align in the night sky. But you'll need binoculars or a telescope to see them all.

Seven planets currently form a rare "planet parade" in February's evening sky, with three easy to see with the naked eye, and two more possible. It will return in 2036.

Seven planets are on display in the night sky at the end of February, but some will be harder to spot than others. Here’s what you need to know to catch a glimpse.

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A rare 7-planet alignment will be visible this week after sunset, with Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, & Neptune aligning. Another chance to see this event will occur in February 2025.

Beginning around sunset, Saturn will be situated closest to the horizon, followed by Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Mars higher in the sky. While Neptune and Uranus also are within Earth’s line of sight, they’ll require binoculars or a telescope and are extremely difficult to locate, astronomers say.