Can you still see the rare planetary parade alignment in the sky tonight?

This kind of family reunion won’t happen again for 15 years (Picture: Getty)

Some people say that good things only happen ‘when the stars align’.

Until that happens, the best the universe can offer is aligning planets, we’re afraid – but it’s still pretty exciting.

For a few brief evenings this week seven planets in our solar system are visible at once.

And tonight (Friday) is the peak time to see it, so if you haven’t had a chance to catch the phenomenon it’s not too late.

It is the culmination of an impressive display throughout January and February, when six planets have been lining up in the night sky, with Mercury joining this week.

There won’t be an opportunity as good as this to see all the planets together until 2040.

Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will be visible with the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune can be spotted too if you have a telescope.

Sorry to Pluto, but it got booted out of the planets club in 2006, so we’ll count this as a full house even though it won’t be appearing.

When is the best time to see the planetary alignment 2025? How to see it

Just after sunset this week has been the best time to see the alignment, with tonight set to offer the most impressive view.

This will possibly be your last chance to see the full alignment as Saturn and Mercury will soon drop below the horizon.

Venus, Mars, and Jupiter will hang around a little longer.

If the sky is crystal clear there’s a chance Uranus will appear as a faint speck when you crane your neck up, if you have really good eyesight.

To spot them, look out for Mars with its reddish colour, and Venus and Jupiter looking especially bright.

Don’t wait for it to get completely dark, however, because then some may dip back below the horizon.

What happens during planetary alignment?

Despite the name, a planetary alignment isn’t when the planets get in a row, it’s when a fair few gather on one side of the Sun. A planetary parade, meanwhile, describes them all being visible in the sky.

Nasa says that you won’t need a telescope to see the space giants, but you might need one for Uranus and Neptune (Picture: Nasa)

Uranus will be in the same patch of sky as Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter but likely won’t be bright enough to be visible without observational equipment. The same goes for Neptune.

If you have a telescope or high-powered binoculars, Uranus will be roughly west of Jupiter, while Neptune is to the upper left of Saturn and Venus.

Dr Shyam Balaji, researcher in astroparticle physics and cosmology at King’s College London, said: ‘On February 28 a seven-planet alignment will occur. Planetary alignments, where multiple planets appear close together in the sky, occur periodically but are relatively rare.

‘Alignments of six or more planets happen approximately every few decades, depending on the specific orbital positions of the planets.

‘Planetary alignments occur because the planets in our solar system orbit the Sun within roughly the same plane, known as the ecliptic plane. 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 in space.

Venus pictured just by the Moon earlier this year (Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

‘There is no significant effect on Earth from planetary alignments regarding tides or weather. The gravitational influence of the planets on Earth is negligible compared to that of the Moon and the Sun. While some speculative theories suggest minor influences on solar activity, these are not supported by robust scientific evidence.’

As to whether we should call it a ‘planet parade’? Nasa says this isn’t a technical term in astronomy, so ‘call it what you wish!’

How to view the planets aligning

For anyone hoping to see this celestial spectacle, head outside for about half an hour to let your eyes adjust to the darkness too.

If possible, get as far away from street lights and other artificial lights as possible. You can use light pollution maps like this one to find the best viewing spots.

Experts also recommend people use finder-charts – maps of the stars – or stargazing apps to help discern the planets from stars twinkling in the sky.

A good hack to differentiate them from one expert is to close one eye, reach out your arm and pass your thumb over a bright dot in the sky.

If the speck dims when your thumb passes it, it’s a planet. If it immediately blinks out as if you switched the light off, it’s a star.

A version of this article was previously published on January 26, 2025.

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