Look to the night sky tonight, and you’ll spot a once-in-a-generation planetary alignment. Also called the 'planet parade', seven – yes, seven! – of our celestial neighbours are currently lining up in the Solar System.
To be specific, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will be forming a queue, falling into alignment right before your eyes. And it's not to be missed: this rare sighting of the Solar System in formation doesn't come around often – the next one will be in 2040.
Where should you look? Why is this happening now? And when is the perfect time to catch it? We've got all the answers below.
When does the planet parade occur?
The best day to see the planet parade is on the evening of Friday 28 February 2025. However, multiple planets will be visible in the sky at once throughout this week.
“Friday 28 February is the special date, with all seven planets other than Earth visible in the sky – if the night is clear,” explained David Armstrong, associate professor in the department of physics at The University of Warwick.
“This ‘great planetary alignment’ won’t happen again until 2040, as it needs all the planets to be on the same side of the Sun.”
The best time to catch this celestial spectacle is just after sunset, in the early evening. Five planets – Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn – will be visible to the naked eye. But if you grab a pair of binoculars or a telescope, you might also spot Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter’s moons, or even Saturn’s iconic rings.
To give yourself the best odds, find a location away from city lights. Somewhere remote will offer the clearest view.
Where's the best place to look?
When you look up at the sky on Friday, spotting the planets might take a bit of effort. While they’ll be visible, they won’t stand out dramatically. Instead, you’ll need to carefully pick them out one by one.
“Venus is in the west, shining as the brightest object in the sky after sunset. Jupiter is directly overhead, the next brightest. And if you look a bit east of Jupiter, you’ll spot Mars with its distinct red glow,” says Dr Matt Burleigh, a reader in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester.
Mercury is the trickiest planet to spot with the naked eye. It’s small, orbits closest to the Sun, and stays low on the horizon. But just after sunset, you’ll have your best chance to catch a glimpse.
The planets will line up in a loose row, making it easier to trace their path across the sky. Follow the pattern, and you’ll be able to identify each one. This will be much easier with a telescope.
Why is the parade happening now?
So what actually causes this strange event to happen? “Planetary alignments occur because the planets in our Solar System orbit the Sun within roughly the same plane, known as the ecliptic plane,” says Dr Shyam Balaji, a research fellow in the department of physics at King's College London.
“As they orbit at different speeds and distances from the Sun, there are moments when they appear to line up from Earth’s perspective. This alignment is a visual phenomenon rather than a physical one, as the planets remain separated by millions or even billions of kilometres.”
While it can look somewhat daunting, there is no significant effect caused by the planetary alignment. Compared to the gravitational influence of the Moon and Sun, the other planets exert very little influence on Earth’s events. So feel free to enjoy the parade worry-free.
About our experts
Dr Shyam Balaji is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Physics at King's College London. His research focuses on astroparticle physics and cosmology.
Matt Burleigh is an astronomer working at the University of Leicester, where he is a reader in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
David Armstrong is an associate professor working on exoplanet detection at the University of Warwick. He has a particular focus on planets in and around the Neptunian Desert.
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