Seven planets will align in the night sky tonight, offering a rare celestial event for stargazers.
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will be visible, though binoculars or a telescope is needed to see Uranus and Neptune.
Six planets have been lined up all week, but Mercury joins them tonight.
The best time to view this planetary parade is just after sunset, providing a unique opportunity for astronomy enthusiasts and casual observers alike to witness a spectacular sight.
If you purchase something from the links on this page, we may earn a commission.
Here’s what you need to know about your stroller and air travel.
Since traveling with a baby or toddler (or both) requires you to bring diapers, bottles, snacks, toys, activities, extra clothes, and everything else in your house, traveling without a carry-on stroller would be nearly impossible. Luckily, all the major airlines are pretty accommodating when it comes to traveling with little ones. Airlines allow you to bring most of the necessary baby items through security and on a plane; some even allow you to pre-board.
Related video above: Never pack these things in your carry-on bag
But what about strollers? Many parents wonder whether a stroller counts as a carry-on. Considering that most airlines charge for luggage, this is a fair question.
The simple answer is yes. You can bring your stroller on the plane as long as it fits in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you. However, there are other options.
Chris Perry, an external communications consultant for Southwest Airlines, says, “Strollers may be checked at the ticket counter or gate-checked on Southwest. Gate-checked strollers do not count toward the one carry-on item and one personal item, and customers choosing to check at the ticket counter are allowed to check one stroller and one car seat without charge in addition to our two free checked bags. Gate-checked strollers are returned plane-side, and those checked at the ticket counter are returned at baggage claim at the final destination.”
Southwest is the only airline that offers free checked bags, but the fact that strollers don’t count as a carry-on is the same across the board. We do recommend that you buy a stroller bag for your stroller no matter when and where you check it, though, as they can get pretty banged up without one. Also, label it well. We like marking the bag with paint pens to differentiate stroller bags. It’s not uncommon for several families to have similar stroller bags.
Not all strollers will fit in a plane’s overhead compartment, especially if you’re traveling with a car seat and stroller. There are several, like the Yoyo 3 by Stokke, but if a stroller is too large to fit above you, you will need to check it at the gate or the ticket counter. If you check the stroller at the gate, you’ll at least be able to use it as you make your way through the departure and arrival airports with your kiddo and their plethora of stuff. However, if you’re done dealing with it, checking it at the counter is easy.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), strollers are allowed to be brought on planes as carry-on items if they meet certain size and safety requirements.
Certain airlines might have different rules for strollers, so if you’re unsure, give them a call before you travel. And one more thing — if you want to clean your child’s stroller before bringing it along on a fancy trip or to see the in-laws, here’s a step-by-step process on how that works.
Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
Share
TOP PICKS
RECOMMENDED
Here’s what you need to know about your stroller and air travel.
Share
Are strollers considered carry-ons?
What if a stroller doesn’t fit in the overhead compartment?
Size and Safety Requirements
TOP PICKS
WYFF GREENVILLE
Watch ‘rare’ planetary parade online for free today as 7 planets align across the sky (video)
Seven planets will line up for a rare “planetary parade” today (Feb. 28) and you can watch it live online, beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET (1700 GMT).
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Seven planets will line up for a rare “planetary parade” today, and you can watch it live online.
The planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — plus the moon — align in the night sky just after dusk today (Feb. 28). Most of the planets will be visible to the unaided eye, but you will need a good telescope to see the full show. You can also view this spectacular planetary alignment during a free webcast this afternoon, hosted by the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy.
Starting at 12:00 p.m. ET (1700 GMT), astrophysicist Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project will stream live telescope views of all seven of the planets in marching order. You can watch the livestream here on Space.com courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project or directly on their WebTV page or YouTube channel.
Related: Astrophotographer captures ‘rare’ planetary parade as 7 planets align in the night sky (photo)
“Such a parade happens from time to time and we wish to share this event with our friends around the world,” Masi said in a statement announcing the webcast.
While most of these planets have been visible in the night sky since January, Mercury is the latest planet to join the procession, reaching its highest point above the horizon. The seven planets will share the sky for a few days before Mercury and Saturn sink too low on the horizon for most people to see.
This type of planetary alignment — referred to by many as a planetary parade — occurs because the planets orbit the sun on a relatively flat, disk-shaped plane. While it is not uncommon for multiple planets to be visible at the same time, it is rare for all seven to line up at once. In fact, the next such alignment won’t be visible until 2040.
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
To see the seven planets in the sky, it’s recommended that viewers find a spot with minimal light pollution on a clear night. While five of the planets appear big and bright enough to be seen by the unaided eye, a telescope or pair of binoculars are needed to see Uranus and Neptune, given they reside furthest from Earth and thus appear much dimmer in the night sky.
With telescopes located in coastal southwestern Tuscany, the Virtual Telescope Project has access to unobscured skies, offering optimal viewing conditions for the planetary parade. Be sure to watch the live online feed shortly after sunset locally, when all seven planets appear in view.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
Samantha Mathewson joined Space.com as an intern in the summer of 2016. She received a B.A. in Journalism and Environmental Science at the University of New Haven, in Connecticut. Previously, her work has been published in Nature World News. When not writing or reading about science, Samantha enjoys traveling to new places and taking photos! You can follow her on Twitter @Sam_Ashley13.
Fuel your children’s imagination for all things space with this National Geographic Power Rocket — it’s got a 21% saving right now at Amazon
Why the northern lights seem more frequent than ever — from solar science to smartphone snapshots
Fuel your children’s imagination for all things space with this National Geographic Power Rocket — it’s got a 21% saving right now at Amazon
Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
