During the month of January, sky gazers will be able to see four planets in one view — and come February, the parade will only expand.
NASA says after dark, throughout the month of January, you’ll be able to see Venus, Saturn Jupiter and Mars.
Venus and Saturn will appear in the southwest of the sky, Jupiter will appear overhead and Mars will rise in the east.
There was planetary parade in June 2024 when six planets — Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn — all aligned.
In February, seven planets will be in alignment – Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars.
Prepare for a wintertime parade of planets. Skywatchers will be able to see four planets in one view during the month of January, and the parade will only get bigger in February.
According to NASA, you can see Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars after dark during the month of January. Jupiter will be visible overhead, Mars will rise in the east, and Venus and Saturn will be visible in the southwest.
Although they won’t be bright enough to see without a telescope, Uranus and Neptune will also be present.
NASA says that while “planetary parades” are not extremely uncommon, they do not occur annually. Six planets aligned during a planetary parade in June 2024: Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Mars, Neptune, and Saturn.
Because planets orbit the sun, they always appear in a line in the sky; the only difference is that they will appear closer to Earth and each other, making them visible from our planet. These occurrences are frequently referred to as planetary alignments.
In January, Saturn and Venus will be getting very close. On January, they came closest to one another. 17 and 18.
Additionally, Mars and Earth will align their orbits around the time that Mars is closest to Earth, making it appear larger and brighter in the night sky. Known as an opposition, this occurs roughly every two years.
The planets of Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars will all be in alignment in February. The majority can be seen with the unaided eye, but to see Uranus and Neptune, you might need binoculars or a telescope, according to Starwalk, a sky-gazing app that keeps track of space events for amateur and professional astronomers. The global peak of this alignment will occur on February 28.
When the sun sets, those who wish to witness this event should begin searching for the alignment. On certain days, the alignment may be more visible in some locations. For instance, February may be the best time to see the event in New York. 25, as stated by Starwalk.