Six planets will create a parade tonight in rare event that won't happen again until 2028

Roll up, roll up, as the planets are set to put on a spectacular parade in the sky for us lot tonight (21 August).

This evening is your last chance to catch a glimpse of the rare space phenomenon until 2028 too, so stargazers really ought to have their binoculars at the ready.

You've heard of 'the stars aligning', but did you know the planets are also partial to it too every so often?

According to NASA, although a 'planet parade' isn't a technical term in astronomy, it does perfectly describe how planets occasionally line up along each other.

Explaining that the planets 'always appear along a line or arc across the sky', the US space agency said: "This occurs because the planets orbit our Sun in a relatively flat, disc-shaped plane.

"From Earth, we're looking into that solar system plane from within. We see the racetrack of the planets from the perspective of one of the racers ourselves.

"When viewed edge-on, this disc appears as a line, which we call the ecliptic or ecliptic plane. What makes these events special is the opportunity to observe multiple planets simultaneously with the naked eye."

The planets will form a line on the sky tonight, similar to the one seen in this image (NASA)

Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will appear alongside together in the eastern sky tonight, creating a dazzling display for those watching.

And to make the evening more magical, a thin crescent moon will also joining the impressive line-up and slot itself in next to Mercury.

The smallest planet in our solar system will start to fall back under the sun's glare though this evening, meaning it will be more difficult to see than its counterparts.

Venus, Jupiter and Saturn should be visible to the naked eye with clear skies, according to Live Science, but Uranus and Neptune are unfortunately probably too far away and dim for our pupils to pick up.

But if you want to get a decent look at the half a dozen planets showing out in force tonight, your best bet is peering through a telescope.

Although it promises to be a very pretty sight, experts have warned people that the planetary parade might not look how they're expecting.

The planets 'won't be stacked like bowling balls as depicted in all the AI generated images on social media', according to Chris Vaughan, a senior astronomer and Earth science educator at AstroGeo.

In a blog post, he explained that 'early risers can catch the six planets' in the sky later tonight.

The planetary parade is best observed through a telescope, experts say (Getty Stock Photo)

However, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune 'aren't that close together', according to Vaughan - but it will apparently still make a 'lovely photo'.

Astronomy columnist Andrew Fazekas reckons that the planetary parade will look like bright points of light.

"To the naked eye, you're not going to see anything spectacular," he said, as per CBC, but he said trying to discern multiple planets at once will still be a 'wonderful observing challenge'.

Fazekas explained people can use the crescent moon as a 'guidepost' to help you work out which planet is which, as tonight, it is expected to be closest to Mercury.

So, set your alarms for the early hours, as this spectacle in the sky is set to be on display in the UK before sunrise, between 4am and 6am.

All you need to do is select a spot with an unobstructed view of the eastern horizon and Bob's your uncle.

According to NASA, the next planetary parade in our future will come in late October 2028 and five planets will be visible at once before sunrise.

Following that, the next one will be in February 2034 - so make sure you make the most of this evening, folks!