Planetary Alignment: What Is It? When Is the Next Planetary Alignment?
Planetary alignments are beautiful celestial events that you can observe without special equipment. The next planetary alignment is on January 21, 2025. To make sure you find every planet easily, use the free Sky Tonight app. And don't worry if you're new to astronomy! The app is user-friendly, perfect for beginners and experts alike. Now, dive into this article for easy tips on watching planets, the dates and times of the next planetary alignments, and a breakdown of how these alignments work.
Contents
- 6 planets in the planetary alignment on January 21, 2025
- What is a planetary alignment?
- The upcoming planetary alignments
- FAQ
- Planetary Alignment 2024: Conclusion
Planetary alignment is an astronomical term used to describe the event when several planets gather closely on one side of the Sun at the same time.
Planetary parade is a colloquial term that means, in the broadest sense, that several planets are present in the sky in one night.
Now let's find out when the planets will align next. To learn more about how planetary alignments work, go straight to the “What is a planetary alignment” chapter.
6 planets in the planetary alignment on January 21, 2025
The next planetary alignment will take place on January 21, 2025. In the evening, just after sunset, six planets — Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn — will align in the sky. Four of these planets (Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn) will be easily visible to the naked eye. You'll need a telescope or high-powered binoculars to see Neptune and Uranus. Now, let's take a closer look at the conditions for observing the planets.
Reddish Mars (mag -1.3) will shine on the eastern horizon, in the constellation Gemini.
Bright Jupiter (mag -2.6) will be positioned a little higher, in the constellation Taurus. If the sky is dark enough, you will be able to enjoy the beautiful Pleiades, Hyades and yellow Aldebaran that surround the planet and complete the picture. You can easily identify all these objects with the help of the Sky Tonight app.
Get high-powered binoculars to see Uranus (mag 5.7). It will be in the constellation Aries, near the border with Taurus.
The next three planets will be located closer to the western horizon. Neptune (mag 7.9) will be in the constellation Pisces, but you’ll need at least a pair of powerful binoculars to spot it. Yellowish Saturn (mag 0.6) and the "evening star" Venus (mag -4.7) will be easily visible. They will shine close together in the constellation Aquarius.
To make sure you located the planets correctly, download Sky Tonight, a free stargazing app that makes it easy to identify any celestial object in the sky. To find out the name of an object above you, just launch the app and point your device at the sky – you will see the names of the planets and be able to learn more about each one.
Where & when to see 6 planets in 2025?
The planetary alignment will be visible almost everywhere in the evening hours. However, January 21, 2025 is only a general date when it will be well-seen for most locations around the world. The ideal date to view the alignment may vary depending on your location. Here is a list of different locations around the world and the dates when the planets are seen in the smallest sector of the sky during this alignment:
- Abu Dhabi: January 18, 169-degree sky sector;
- Hong Kong: January 18, 172-degree sky sector;
- Tokyo: January 21, 157-degree sky sector;
- New York: January 22, 152-degree sky sector.
- Athens: January 23, 155-degree sky sector.
Note that tall buildings or high mountains near you might hide the planets from view. To see how the planets will look from where you live on a given date, launch the Sky Tonight app, select the desired date and time in the Time Machine at the top of the screen, and look at the sky map – you will see the position of the celestial objects for your location. Switch to the AR mode to see how the planets fit in with your surroundings.
In addition, the alignment is not limited to a single day but may extend for several days before and after that date. So if you missed January 21, don’t worry and try to spot planets on the other day around the date!
Now we’ll give you a few tips on how to observe the upcoming alignment.
How to see the next planetary alignment?
First, choose the right time. To observe this alignment, you should find out the sunrise time for your location and start your observations at least an hour before it. You can find out the sunrise time for your location with Sky Tonight. To do this, launch the Sky Tonight app and open the calendar. From there, go to the Sky tab, and you will see the schemes and twilight times for each day. Choose the desired date and check the sunrise time for your location (the time near the Sun icon and the up arrow).
Then, make sure you’re looking at the planets and not the stars. It’s not as obvious as it seems! It may be easy to distinguish Venus because it will be the brightest celestial object after the Moon in the sky. The other planets, however, are a little fainter. One of the differences is that the planets, unlike the stars, don’t twinkle. And if you observe the night sky throughout the year, you’ll notice that the planets “visit” different constellations while the stars stay in “fixed” positions relative to each other. To understand the differences between stars and planets once and for all, check out our colorful infographic.
The easiest way to check if you see a planet or a star is by using the free Sky Tonight app:
Step 1: Open Sky Tonight and point your device at the sky or tap the big blue button. The app will display a live representation of the sky above you and track your movements.
Step 2: Direct your device toward the part of the sky where the object you wish to identify is located. You can lower the magnitude so that only naked-eye objects are left on the screen. To do this, tap the bottom panel and drag the top slider toward the eye icon.
Step 3: Tap on the object to see its name on the screen, then you can tap the name to learn more about it.
To see the alignment in all its beauty, find a place with a dark sky without light pollution and with a clear view of the horizon (without obstacles such as trees or tall buildings).
The short guide above will help you spot the aligned planets. To plan your observations, check out the next planetary alignments listed below in this article. But first, let’s dive into the theory if you’re wondering what it actually means when planets align.
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 looser grouping in one quadrant (a 90-degree sector) is extremely rare: all planets gather in one quadrant only 7 times in the current millennium.
- A visual phenomenon when the planets appear close together in a small sky sector, as seen from the 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. Moreover, when the inner planets are close to the Earth-Sun line, we won't see them in the night sky.
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 the 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 check it yourself with the stargazing app Sky Tonight:
- Launch the app and find the yellow dotted line that contains the Sun and goes through the entire celestial sphere – this is the ecliptic.
- Move along this line, and you’ll eventually find all the planets on the sides of it. Or you can type the name of the desired planet in the search field and tap the target button near its name. The app will show the planet’s current location, and it will be near the ecliptic at any date and at any time.
As you move along the ecliptic in the app, you may notice that it is an arc from horizon to horizon. However, in a small part of the sky, the ecliptic looks like a straight line. You can see this by looking at the segment of the ecliptic that fits on your screen. That's why when the planets come closer together in one sky sector during an alignment, it looks like they’re forming an almost straight line in the sky.
Is a planet alignment and a planet parade the same thing?
“Planetary parade” is not an official astronomical term, so it is used more loosely than the term “planetary alignment.” Planetary alignments are colloquially called planetary parades. Additionally, when multiple planets are visible together in one night, it can also be called a planetary parade. In astrology, a planetary parade occurs when several planets are located in the same zodiac constellation.
Types of planetary alignments
The following types of planetary alignments are distinguished according to 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 – all Solar System planets (+ Pluto sometimes).
When two planets are close in the sky, what is it called?
When two planets meet in the sky, it's not a planetary alignment yet. It may be the closest approach or conjunction. In our dedicated article, you’ll find details about the upcoming planetary conjunctions.
The upcoming planetary alignments
Plan your planetary observations for the next few years and beyond! And don’t miss the next planetary alignment – described in detail at the beginning of the article and regularly updated.
Not all parts of the world have the same view of planetary alignments. Due to the position of the ecliptic on the celestial sphere, certain planets may not be visible from where you live. Therefore, please keep in mind that the following list of planetary alignments is a general overview. The listed dates indicate when the planets can be clearly seen from most locations worldwide. If you miss this precise date, don't worry - the alignment is typically visible for a few days before and after the given date.
The next planetary alignments taking place in 2025:
- January 21: a large evening alignment of Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn.
- February 28: a great evening alignment of Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars.
- April 15: a small morning alignment of Neptune, Mercury, Saturn, and Venus.
- August 11: a large morning alignment of Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn.
To verify if a specific planetary alignment is entirely observable from your location, download the Sky Tonight app. Select the desired date using the app’s time machine at the top of the screen, and explore the view of the sky for your precise location.
When will 5 to 7 planets align in the sky?
Here is the list of the next planetary alignments that feature 5 to 7 planets:
- January 21, 2025: a large evening alignment of Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Venus.
- February 28, 2025: a great evening alignment of Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars. This is the next time 7 planets will be visible in the sky at once!
- August 11, 2025: a large morning alignment of Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn.
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. The crescent Moon will also be visible, positioned between Venus and Saturn. The best time for observations will be around 19:30 local time.
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 be seen just after sunset.
FAQ
When is the next planet parade?
The next planet parade is on January 21, 2025, when six planets – Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn – will align in the sky. Learn about planetary alignments and how to observe them with our colorful infographic.
When was the last time all the planets aligned?
The last time all planets aligned was on April 8, 2024. The planetary alignment was visible during the total solar eclipse in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
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.
- Use a pair of binoculars when trying to spot Uranus and Neptune.
- For the inner planets, the best viewing conditions occur near their greatest elongations, and for the outer planets – around their oppositions.
Use the app Sky Tonight to find all the planets in the sky above you and learn their visibility conditions.
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. At the next full alignment on February 28, 2025, the seven planets – Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars – will be observable in the sky simultaneously.
What happens when the planets align?
Some media sources falsely claim that planetary alignments cause tsunamis, earthquakes, and other global disasters. This nonsense has been repeatedly debunked. In reality, alignments do not affect gravity or human life, but they are cool stargazing events.
Planetary Alignment 2024: Conclusion
Planetary alignment is a term used in astronomy to describe the event when several planets gather in a small sky area. This event may also be colloquially called a “planetary parade.” The next alignment of six planets is on January 21, 2025. The planets will be visible just before sunrise. Download a free stargazing app Sky Tonight to help you spot them all!
