Although NASA says these types of events are not especially rare, they’re still an excellent reason to go outside and do a little stargazing. In this hectic modern world, it’s natural to feel like your ducks aren’t in a row,

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.

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.