Don’t Miss the 7-Planet Alignment: A Celestial Spectacle in February 2025
Don't Miss the 7-Planet Alignment: A Celestial Spectacle in February 2025
A rare event will occur on 28th of February 2025, prepare for an extraordinary celestial spectacle.
2025 is set to be an exciting year for astronomy enthusiasts. With the expectation to see meteors streaking across the night sky, a total lunar eclipse casting a striking blood-red hue on the moon, and the intriguing phenomenon of Saturn’s rings seemingly vanishing, be on the lookout for unexpected auroras as the sun reaches a peak in its activity, known as solar maximum.
Among these, a rare event will occur on 28th of February 2025. On February 28, prepare for an extraordinary celestial spectacle. All seven of the solar system’s planets will be visible together in the night sky, showcasing a rare alignment.
A minor alignment of six planets is set to commence on January 21, showcasing Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Venus. This celestial event will be best viewed until February 21.
This phenomenon is referred to as a “planetary parade.” While the planets will be positioned above the horizon from our perspective on Earth, they are not perfectly aligned in the three-dimensional layout of the solar system. Additionally, since the planets’ orbits are not all on the same plane—some are slightly tilted relative to others—a complete alignment is impossible.
However, when the planets do come together in their orbits, it is called a syzygy, and such occurrences are exceptionally rare.
Planetary alignments are not an uncommon phenomenon. However, it is quite unusual for such events to involve seven or eight planets at the same time.
This event will provide excellent opportunities for observing planets, allowing you to spot multiple celestial neighbors in just one evening. While Uranus and Neptune are too dim to be seen without a telescope, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn will all be visible to the naked eye. However, to catch a glimpse of all of them, you’ll need to plan your stargazing carefully: Saturn and Mercury, along with Neptune, will be positioned close to the sun at sunset, which will make them harder to see.
Clear skies are essential. Begin monitoring weather updates to identify the best locations for observation.
The most recent occurrence of all the planets aligning in this manner was on April 8, 2024, coinciding with the total solar eclipse that was visible across North America.
