A rare celestial phenomenon is about to light up the heavens, offering skywatchers a chance to marvel at the dynamic beauty of our Solar System. This February, a "Parade of Planets" will see all seven of Earth’s planetary neighbors align in a dazzling display.

A comet and multiple planets will be visible in the night sky tonight. There is a much shorter window to be able to see the comet which is just after sunset

The object is designated Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), as it was first reported by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile. Don’t let the name of the telescope worry you—the comet will pass by Earth, not impact it—but that’s only if the comet manages to survive a near pass of the Sun on January 13.

Worlds will align for a "planetary parade" in January, with four bright and easily visible to the naked eye. But an even better view arrives in February and March. Here's what you need to know.

In the rare celestial event, occurring once every 160,000 years, the Comet G3 ATLAS (C/2024) is likely to reach its peak brightness within 8.7 million miles of the Sun at its perihelion. The comet was initially faint,