The seven other planets in our solar system can be seen in the sky at once through Friday, forming a planet parade. But two require a telescope to view.

When we have five or more planets filing into a small sky area, an alignment is upgraded to parade status. Parade is not an official astronomical term and is used fast, loose and with a touch more whimsy than space experts usually allow for.

The solar system's planets are set to align in the night sky in a dazzling planetary alignment, colloquially known as a planetary parade, on Friday night.