2025 starts with a bang for skygazers, with a parade of planets coming across the sky tonight, Jan. 21. A planet parade is when some of the planets of our solar system are visible in the night sky at the same time. There will be six planets visible at this time, including Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus.
The six planets are visible in the days immediately leading up to January 21, and for about four weeks afterwards. Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn should be visible to the eye. You'll need a high-powered viewing device like a telescope to see Neptune and Uranus.
The best time to view the planets from the Northern Hemisphere is after sunset around 8:30 pm local time. You may still catch Venus, Saturn and Neptune on the horizon after this, but all three planets will be below the horizon by 11:30 pm to midnight depending on your location. After this, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will remain visible for a few more hours with Mars finally setting before sunrise.
Unlike earlier paradesthis one is set to last quite a while as the planets are in beneficial places in the sky. You should be able to see all six planets every night through the last week or so of February.
After that, the seven-planet parade begins as Mercury briefly joins the rest of the sky for a few days, making it a planetary parade of all seven planets in our solar system except Earth. It's hard to see them all because Saturn, Mercury and Neptune are pretty close to the sun at sunset, but they're there.
By the time March begins, Mercury, Saturn and Neptune will be too close to the sun to easily see with Venus not far away, leaving Jupiter, Mars and Uranus to fill 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 see the planetary parade this time around thanks to the planet's long length and limited motion. We examined observatories in California, Texas, Ohio and New York in the US, along with Calgary in Canada and Mexico City, Mexico. We've found all six planets in every location, so it doesn't matter how far north, east, west or south you go, you'll see it.
In general, the best time to view the planet parade is after Jan. 21, and before Feb. 21. The best time is the week of Jan. 29 during the new moon. (Like us explain in this storythe new moon is a shadowed moon, making it appear as though the moon is gone.) The shadow moon will reduce light pollution in the sky and make Neptune, Uranus and Saturn easier to see.
Read more: Full Moons Explained, From Blue Moons to Supermoons to Lunar Phases
You don't have to wait long for all six planets to be in the sky. They were there the moment the sun went down. Once it gets dark, you'll only have a few hours to view them before Venus, Saturn and Neptune sink below the horizon for the night. This applies regardless of location, so wherever you are, everything happens at once.
In the last days of February, Mercury will rise and the parade of seven planets will rise. It is best viewed right at sunset and will be harder to see while the sun is still on the horizon.
Will I need any special equipment to watch the parade?
Technically yes. You will be able to see Venus, Mars, Jupiter and potentially Saturn in the eye under the right conditions. However, Neptune and Uranus are too far away to see. Astronomers note that you'll probably need a telescope with at least an 8-inch aperture 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, give that telescope a point on Saturn. At 25 times magnification, you can see the crown jewel of our solar system in all its glory.
The usual space viewing rules apply here as well. You'll want to stay away from the city, where light pollution can blur your vision. Even the suburbs may not be far enough for many people. If you're planning a long trip out of the city and around it, you'll want to make sure it's a clear night with as little cloud as possible.
If you're going to see all seven planets at the end of February, you'll have a particularly difficult task ahead of you because some of the planets are quite close to the sun. You can you want to invest in UV protection for your eyes and be particularly careful where you point your telescope.
How can I find the planets in the sky?
Since Neptune and Uranus are particularly hard to find paired with the fact that Saturn and Venus are right next to each other, there may be some difficulty finding all six planets in the sky. For this, there are some great tools available. Look at it The Stellarium websitealong with Night Sky Map of Time and Date. Those should give you a good idea of where each planet relates to the others. Star Walk 2 is a great app to Android and iOS. Stellarium has its own Android and iOS apps as well.
What is the planetary parade?
A planetary parade is a colloquial term which applies when four or more planets line up in the night sky at the same time. It's not an official term for astronomy so you rarely hear astronomers use it. however, NASA is well known to refer to the phenomenon as a “parade of planets.”
The official term is planetary alignment, although that term tends to cause some confusion. Some interpretations of the phrase include the planets lining up on either side of the sun right next to each other. The planets may never line up perfectly as you see in the pictures, but they can all be on the same side of the sun and pretty close to lining up.
However, in everyday use, planetary parades and alignments are the same and only describe when several 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 are visible from Earth's perspective.
