Planet Parade 2026: When Is the Next Planetary Alignment?
The next planetary alignment occurs around November 14, 2026, when Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter gather in the morning sky. All four planets are bright enough for naked-eye viewing, although Mercury will be tricky to spot because it stays low near the horizon.
This article explains what a planet parade really is and lists the main planetary alignment dates for 2026–2027. To see the most accurate alignment dates for your location — and preview how the planets will line up in your sky — use the Planet Walk feature in the Star Walk 2 app.
Contents
- When Will the Planets Align? 2026–2027 Dates
- What Is a Planetary Alignment?
- What Happens When the Planets Align?
- Planetary Alignments: Conclusion
When Will the Planets Align? 2026–2027 Dates
The dates below are reference dates for upcoming planetary alignments. The best observing date and the number of visible planets depend on location.
- November 14, 2026: a small morning alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.
- April 18, 2027: a small morning alignment of Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Neptune.
- July 2, 2027: a large morning alignment of Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
- September 18, 2027: a mini evening alignment of Mercury, Venus, and Mars.
- December 25, 2027: a large evening alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
To check if a specific planetary alignment is entirely visible from your location, use the Star Walk 2 app. Open the "Planets" section in the Menu and tap "☆ Best nights to see planets". You’ll find a list of date ranges when several planets align in your sky. The date in the middle marks when planets align in the smallest sector of the sky in your location. Tap any alignment to jump to that date.
You’ll see key details like planets’ rise and set times, brightness, and night duration (when the Sun is below the horizon).
Next planetary alignment: November 14, 2026 (4 planets)
The next planetary alignment occurs around November 14, 2026, with Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter appearing before sunrise. All four are bright enough for naked-eye viewing, but Mercury may be difficult to spot.
November 20–22 can offer easier views of Mercury. Conditions generally favor the Northern Hemisphere; the complete lineup is difficult from southern mid-latitudes.
See our November 2026 planetary alignment guide for local viewing times and observing tips.
If you want the best viewing time for your exact location, open Star Walk 2 and go to “Planets” to preview the alignment and plan your observations.
When will 5 or 6 planets align next?
Here is the list of the next planetary alignments that feature 5 to 6 planets:
- July 2, 2027: a large morning alignment of Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
- December 25, 2027: a large evening alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
- January 8, 2028: a large evening alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus.
The most anticipated planetary alignments
Here are some planetary alignments discussed in the media. They are noteworthy because they feature many planets that are grouped closely together. However, most of them won’t happen anytime soon, so don’t hold your breath.
On September 8, 2040, five naked-eye planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) will align in the sky. For some locations, the crescent Moon will also be visible, positioned between Venus and Saturn.
On March 15, 2080, six planets – Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Uranus – will be visible in the morning sky. This alignment is especially remarkable because it will feature the “great conjunction” of Saturn and Jupiter, which will be only six arcminutes apart.
On May 19, 2161, all Solar System planets, including the Earth, will gather on one side of the Sun. The planetary alignment will be seen just before dawn.
On November 7, 2176, all Solar System planets, including the Earth, will gather on one side of the Sun. The planetary alignment will be seen in the Earth’s sky just after sunset.
On May 6, 2492, all Solar System planets, including the Earth, will gather on one side of the Sun. In the Earth’s sky, the planetary alignment will appear in the morning sky before sunrise.
What Is a Planetary Alignment?
Here are two common definitions of a planetary alignment:
- An astronomical event when planets gather closely on one side of the Sun at the same time, as seen from above the Solar System.
Some people think the Solar System planets can form a straight line as viewed from the Sun. However, the planets cannot achieve full alignment in three dimensions. Even a much looser grouping — with all eight planets occupying a 90° sector as viewed from the Sun — is extremely rare.
- A visual phenomenon when the planets appear close together in a small sky sector, as seen from Earth.
When the Earth is one of the planets gathered on one side of the Sun, it appears to the observer that several planets are aligned in the sky. The smaller the sector in which the planets are seen, the more spectacular the alignment.
Don’t forget that alignments from the first definition aren’t always as striking as seen from the Earth. Even when all the planets gather within one quadrant in space, they may be scattered across the sky’s dome. Mercury and Venus can also be hidden in the Sun’s glare, even when they are part of a planetary grouping.
Want a visual explanation? Look at our infographic to understand how planetary alignments work. You’ll learn how to spot them and what to expect from the upcoming "planet parade."
Do the planets form a line in the sky during a planetary alignment?
The planets do form a line, but it’s not perfectly straight. All the planets orbit the Sun in almost the same plane. As a result, when viewing from Earth, the other planets appear to move along the ecliptic, the Sun’s yearly path across the sky.
You can see it yourself with the stargazing app Star Walk 2:
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Open the app and go to the "Planets" section in the Menu.
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Play the animation in the section. Do you see the yellow dotted line forming an arc? This is the ecliptic. The planets are grouped near this line.
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Tap the Planet Walk button to see the planets on the sky map.
- In the animation, the ecliptic appears as an arc because it shows a wide view of the sky, from east to west.
- On the sky map, where only a smaller section of the sky is visible, the ecliptic appears as a straight line.
This is why, during a planetary alignment, the planets seem to form an almost straight line in the sky.
Are a planetary alignment and a planet parade the same thing?
"Planet parade" is not an official astronomical term, so it is used more loosely than the term "planetary alignment." Planetary alignments are colloquially called planet parades. Additionally, when multiple planets are visible together in one night, it can also be called a planet parade.
Types of planetary alignments in the Solar System
In this guide, we use the following informal categories based on the number of participating planets:
- Mini planetary alignment – 3 planets.
- Small planetary alignment – 4 planets.
- Large planetary alignment – 5 or 6 planets.
- Great (full) planetary alignment – 7 planets (+ Pluto sometimes).
When two planets are close in the sky, what is it called?
A close pairing of planets is often associated with a conjunction or a close approach, but these terms describe different moments. A conjunction occurs when the planets share the same right ascension or ecliptic longitude — coordinates used to describe positions in the sky. A close approach is when their apparent angular distance is smallest.
Conjunctions often happen around planetary alignments, so it’s normal to see a “planet parade” and a few close pairs in the same week. See upcoming conjunction dates in our planet conjunction calendar.
What Happens When the Planets Align?
Some people, especially on social media, claim that planetary alignments can trigger earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters. However, there is no scientific evidence that planetary alignments cause such catastrophes. The planets do exert gravitational forces on Earth, but these forces are far too weak to produce dangerous effects.
One common misconception is that when planets align in Earth’s sky, they also form a straight line in space. In reality, a planetary alignment is usually a visual phenomenon: the planets appear grouped together from our perspective while remaining far apart in their orbits. The image below shows how Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter will be positioned in space during the four-planet alignment around November 14, 2026.
Even when several planets gather roughly on the same side of the Sun, their combined gravitational influence on Earth remains extremely small. Their alignment doesn’t suddenly amplify their gravity or create a dangerous gravitational pull.
But what about the Moon and the Sun? We know that their gravity affects Earth’s oceans. Twice each lunar month, around the New and Full Moon, the Sun, Earth, and Moon nearly form a straight line — a configuration known as syzygy. Their tidal effects reinforce each other, producing spring tides, when high tides are higher and low tides are lower than average.
So why don’t planetary alignments have a similar effect? The key is that tidal forces depend on both an object’s mass and its distance from Earth. The Moon is close enough to have a strong tidal influence, while the Sun is massive enough to affect our tides despite its great distance. The other planets, even giant Jupiter, are simply too far away to produce a comparable effect.
Planetary alignment: spiritual meaning and astrology
In astrology, planets are associated with different aspects of life: Mercury with communication and thinking, Venus with love and relationships, and Uranus with change and innovation. Some people interpret planetary alignments as periods of heightened cosmic energy, personal growth, or new beginnings.
However, a planetary alignment is primarily an astronomical phenomenon. Planets appearing together in Earth’s sky don’t necessarily occupy the same zodiac sign or form a special astrological configuration.
There is no scientific evidence that planetary alignments influence our bodies, behavior, or destiny. Still, if watching a planet parade inspires you to reflect on your life or try something new, there’s nothing wrong with finding personal meaning in the experience.
Planetary Alignments: Frequently Asked Questions
When is the next planetary alignment?
The next planetary alignment will occur around November 14, 2026, when Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter gather in the morning sky. All four are bright enough for naked-eye viewing, but spotting Mercury requires a clear horizon and favorable local conditions.
When was the last planetary alignment?
The last major planetary alignment occurred around August 12, 2026, when six planets — Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune — gathered in the morning sky. Four of them were visible to the naked eye under suitable conditions, while Uranus and Neptune required optical aid.
How often do the planets align?
There is no single interval between planetary alignments. Their frequency depends on how many planets are included, how widely they are spread across the sky, and what visibility conditions are required.
How long does a planetary alignment last?
A planetary alignment is not a one-night event. Depending on the planets involved, a multi-planet viewing opportunity can last for several days, weeks, or even longer. The planets move relatively slowly across the sky, so their apparent arrangement changes gradually rather than disappearing overnight.
However, the best observing period may be much shorter. Mercury, for example, often remains visible in the twilight for only a few days. The time when all the planets are above your horizon and the twilight sky is dark enough to see them may be limited to a short period each morning or evening.
What is it called when all the planets align?
When all Solar System planets align, it’s called a "great" or "full" planetary alignment. However, the planets can’t be in a straight line in space, so during the alignment, they just gather closely on one side of the Sun.
How to see the next alignment of planets?
Planetary alignments are quite easy to observe, with just a few essential tips to keep in mind:
- The alignments featuring Mercury can be viewed just after sunset or before dawn, depending on the date.
- Binoculars can help locate Uranus. A telescope is the more practical choice for Neptune, especially in twilight.
- For the inner planets, the best viewing conditions occur near their greatest elongations, and for the outer planets – around their oppositions.
Use the app Star Walk 2 to find all the planets in the sky above you and learn their visibility conditions.
For observing opportunities between planet parades, check our guide to which planets are visible tonight.
When will all the planets align?
The planets of our Solar System never form a perfectly straight line in space, because their orbits aren’t on the same plane. But sometimes, the planets gather closely on one side of the Sun and appear together in the sky.
Around February 3, 2034, all seven other planets will be spread across a broad region of the sky. However, observing all seven in one session will be extremely difficult: Mercury and Venus will be low in twilight, while Uranus and Neptune require optical aid.
Planetary Alignments: Conclusion
A planetary alignment (also called a “planet parade”) is an apparent grouping of several planets along the ecliptic as seen from Earth. The next planetary alignment will occur around November 14, 2026, when Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter appear together in the morning sky. Mercury will be the most challenging of the four planets to spot. Download the free stargazing app Star Walk 2 to find all the planets in your sky.
Still got questions? Check out our reel explaining how planetary alignments work. Follow us on social media for more exciting videos!
