January 2025 has surely begun on a great note! Ever since the year has begun, the night sky has offered us spectacular celestial events and rare phenomena, including the planetary alignment. From January until mid-February, six planets will be visible in the night sky at once, with a seventh planet making a brief appearance. A planetary alignment is not rare, but it does not occur every year either, making this is a special event. What makes this notable is that four planets will be visible with the naked eye, with two being visible with a telescope or binoculars. While the six planets—Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Uranus, and Neptune—have already begun their celestial display, Mercury will be joining the planet line-up shortly. Here’s all you need to know. Planet Parade 2025 in Pictures: Astronomy Enthusiasts Flood X With Mesmerising Photos of January 21 Planetary Alignment of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus.

A planetary alignment, also known as a planet parade or planet line-up, usually occurs when four or more planets appear to align in the sky. They even appear to be close to each other; however, in reality, the planets are millions of kilometres away from each other. They appear to be aligned from our point of view on Earth due to their position on the ecliptic plane.

Planetary Parade: When and How To Watch?

The planets Venus and Saturn already made a close approach called the conjunction last week. All month after dark, Venus and Saturn can be found in the southwest, whereas Mars rises in the east and Jupiter shines brightly overhead. Venus looks like a bright and beautiful star in the sky. Mars too is bright and high, having reached opposition on January 16. Uranus should be visible on Jupiter’s right side. Neptune is trickier to spot, but the planet can be viewed in the same area as Saturn and Venus.

January 2025 Planet Parade Best Visibility Dates

One of the best dates to view the planet parade was on January 21, 2025. The planets will be visible all month long until mid-February; however, the next best date to view the parade of planets is on January 29, the new moon night. The dimmer light and dark night sky should make viewing the planets easier. The best time to view the planets should be after 07:00 PM local time. A bonus planet, the seventh one, will join the planet lineup on February 28. This date is not confirmed; however, Mercury will join the planetary alignment at the end of Feb. Planetary Parade 2025: 6 Planets To Align in the Sky Tonight, When and How To Watch Rare Celestial Event in India.

Planet Parade Visibility

All four planets can be spotted with the naked eye. Uranus and Neptune will be slightly faint and will require a dark night and binoculars or a telescope to spot.

Planet Parade 2025

To get a good view of the planets, travel to a rural area or to a place away from city lights and light pollution. For the best experience, carry binoculars or a telescope.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 22, 2025 03:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).