See a planet parade: six and eventually seven planets will line up

Between sightings of the Northern Lights, solar eclipses, supermoons, and a host of other cool phenomena, there has been something to look at in the sky in 2024. It looks like 2025 will also have a strong start, with a planet parade just a few weeks into the new year. During a planet parade, several planets of our solar system are visible at the same time in the night sky.

Six planets will be visible this time, including Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus. The six planets will be visible in the days leading up to January 21, 2025, and for about four weeks afterward. Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn should be visible to the naked eye. You’ll need a powerful viewing device, such as a telescope, to see Neptune and Uranus.

The best time to view the planets from the Northern Hemisphere is just after sunset, around 8:30 PM local time. You may still be able to see Venus, Saturn and Neptune on the horizon afterward, but depending on your location, all three planets will be below the horizon between 11:30 PM and midnight. Afterwards, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will remain visible for a few more hours, with Mars finally setting just before sunrise.

Unlike previous parades, this one will last quite a while as the planets are in favorable places in the sky. You should be able to see all six planets every night until about the last week of February.

Then the parade of seven planets will begin, while Mercury will briefly join the others in the sky for a few days, turning this into a planetary parade of all seven planets in our solar system, excluding Earth. It will be difficult to see them all, as Saturn, Mercury and Neptune will be quite close to the sun near sunset, but they will be there.

By the time March arrives, Mercury, Saturn and Neptune will have come too close to the Sun to be clearly visible, with Venus not far behind, leaving Jupiter, Mars and Uranus to populate the night sky until the next parade begins .

Will my region see the planet parade?

Most, if not all, locations in the US, Canada and Mexico should be able to see the planetary parade this time around thanks to its long length and limited planetary motion. We checked observatories in California, Texas, Ohio and New York in the US, along with Calgary in Canada and Mexico City, Mexico. We were able to find all six planets in each location, so no matter how far north, east, west or south you go, you’ll be able to see it.

In general, the best time to watch the planet parade is after January 21, 2025 and before February 21, 2025. The best time is the week of January 29, during the new moon. (As we explain in this story, a new moon is a shadow moon, making it appear as if the moon has disappeared.) The shadow moon will reduce light pollution in the sky and make Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn easier to spot.

Read more: Full moons explained, from blue moons to supermoons and moon phases

You don’t have to wait long before all six planets are in the sky. They’ll be there as soon as the sun goes down. Once dark, you only have a few hours to view them before Venus, Saturn and Neptune dip below the horizon for the evening. This applies regardless of location, so wherever you are, everything happens around the same time.

During the last few days of February, Mercury will make its entrance and the parade will increase to seven planets. This is best seen near sunset and will be more difficult to see when the sun is still on the horizon.

Do I need any special equipment to watch the parade?

Technically yes. Under favorable conditions you can see Venus, Mars, Jupiter and possibly Saturn with the naked eye. However, Neptune and Uranus are simply too far away to see. Astronomers are taking note that you will probably need a telescope with an aperture of at least 8 inches at 50 times magnification to see Uranus and its rings, and 150 times magnification to see Neptune and its rings. If you’re so equipped, point that telescope at Saturn. With a magnification of 25 times you can see the crown jewel of our solar system in all its glory.

The standard rules for viewing rooms also apply here. You want to escape the city, where light pollution can obscure your view. Even the suburbs may not be far enough away for many people. If you are planning a long drive outside the city and surrounding area, make sure it is a clear night with as little cloud cover as possible.

If you set out to view all seven planets in late February, you will have a particularly difficult task ahead of you, as a few of the planets will be quite close to the Sun. You may want to invest in UV protection for your eyes and be especially careful about where you point your telescope.

How can I find the planets in the sky?

Considering that Neptune and Uranus are particularly difficult to find, combined with the fact that Saturn and Venus will be right next to each other, it may take some effort to find all six planets in the sky. There are a number of good tools available for this. Check out Stellarium’s websitetogether with Night sky map of time and date. These should give you a good idea of ​​where each planet is in relation to the others. Star Walk 2 is an excellent app on Android And iOS. Stellarium has its own Android And iOS apps also.

What is a planetary parade?

A planetary parade it is an informal term this applies when four or more planets are in the night sky at the same time. It’s not an official term in astronomy, so you’ll rarely hear astronomers use it. However, NASA is known to refer to the phenomenon as a ‘parade of planets’.

The official term is planetary alignment, although that term tends to cause a bit of confusion. Some interpretations of the phrase include the planets being on the same side of the sun, all right next to each other. The planets can never line up exactly as you see in the photos, but they can all be on the same side of the sun and relatively close together.

In everyday usage, however, planetary parades and alignments are the same and simply describe when multiple planets are visible in the night sky at the same time. These planets may not be close to each other in their solar orbits, but they are visible from Earth’s perspective.