What to Know About the Next Great Planetary Alignment, or ‘Planetary Parade’
Next month, a very special astronomical event will take place in the form of the great planetary alignment, also known informally as a "planetary parade."
During this special event, most of the world will be able to see a number of planets at the same time in the night sky, marking a momentous occasion for stargazers everywhere. For all of the details on what this means and how to get the best view, just keep scrolling.
What Is the Planetary Alignment?
You might hear "alignment" and picture the planets coming together to form a straight line, but this is a bit of a misnomer, as each planet has its own orbit with a different tilt. Instead, a planetary alignment occurs when multiple planets gather relatively close together on the same side of the sun. This means that, from the perspective of earth, they can all be viewed at the same time. A minimum of three planets is required for it to be considered a planetary alignment, and these are relatively common, occurring every few months. However, ones like the upcoming great planetary alignment are very rare indeed.
(via Unsplash)
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What's Special About This 'Great' Planetary Alignment?
This upcoming planetary alignment will not see three, but a whopping seven planets visible at once, involving every planet in our solar system (sorry, Pluto!). It takes a lot of luck and waiting—often hundreds of years—to get Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune to align, so it's no wonder that they're calling this unique event a "planetary parade."
When Will the Planetary Alignment Occur?
The great planetary alignment is set to occur on Feb. 28, 2025. It should be visible not long after sunset across most of the world, though things like tall buildings and mountains, as well as bad weather, have the potential to block the view.
(via Shutterstock)
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Can I View the Planetary Alignment?
Weather and darkness permitting, you should be able to see much of the great planetary alignment with the naked eye. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will likely be highly visible without any special tools, though seeing Uranus and Neptune will require a little extra help.
Mercury will be spotted near the western horizon, while Venus (the brightest planet in the solar system, and often the brightest object in the sky) will appear above it.
Mars will appear highest up in the sky over the southern horizon, recognizable thanks to its red-orange color, while Jupiter will appear slightly lower, appearing as the second brightest planet in the sky.
Saturn will likely be tougher to spot during this alignment, as it will be quite close to the horizon, but will be notable for its bright, goldish appearance.
Unless the sky is perfectly clear and dark, Uranus will probably be tougher to see with the naked eye, so we recommend binoculars. Neptune will appear the faintest, just above Mercury and below Venus, requiring even stronger lenses. We're not too surprised, given that Neptune is about 2.7 billion miles away from earth. Remarkably, this will mean seven planets within a 2.8 billion mile range will all be visible at once.
Watching the Planets Align
Can't wait for the great planetary alignment? Getting to that point will be a process, and starting the evening of Jan. 19, you'll be able to see Venus and Saturn in alignment.
Then, just two days later, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune will join them, missing only Mercury. This alignment is set to last about a month, so you don't have to stress if you miss it the first night—or you can head out and enjoy the planets every night while they're still visible.
(via Shutterstock)
For even more on what's going on in the night sky, click HERE to a guide to the full moons of 2025.