Planetary Parade: Seven planets to align this Friday, See Why and How to See Them

Friday, February 28, 2025, offers a rare look at 7 of the 8 planets in our solar system. It’s called a Planetary Parade and they will be visible just after dusk.

Stargazers may be able to see six planets for much of this week, but on Friday, Mercury will join the lineup with Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. (You’ll need a pretty powerful telescope to see Neptune and Uranus. Saturn will be closest to the sun so it may also be hard to spot.)

Since each planet has its own orbit, alignment happens when they catch up to each other. This unique occurrence won’t last long since the planets move at different speeds.

The alignment will be most visible just after dusk, which happens in Savannah around 6:19 p.m. on the 28th. Weather permitting, the planetary parade should be visible from almost anywhere in North America. The next time the planets will align is August 29, 2025 (when Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will be visible.)

What does it mean when planets align?
A planetary parade refers to how planets form a “straight line” and look as though they are marching across the night sky. It’s not a technical astronomy term, according to NASA, although the space agency has been known to use the phrase.

Whenever multiple planets become visible to the naked eye, it is often referred to as a planetary alignment.

The term may appear confusing, since the planets cannot actually fully line up in the three-dimensional solar system exactly as they may be seen in pictures; rather, it’s our perspective of the planets lining up from Earth. And while the planets appearing to align isn’t particularly special, seeing four or five bright planets at once doesn’t happen every year, the space agency said.

Is a planetary parade rare?
On any given night, weather permitting, you can spot at least one bright planet in the sky, and lineups of four or five planets, seen by the naked eye, typically occur every few years, according to Feb. 5 article by NASA’s Preston Dyches.

While Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are frequently spotted at night, the addition of Venus and Mercury make these four- and five-planetary alignments “particularly noteworthy,” Dyches said. That is because both Venus and Mercury orbit closer to the sun than Earth, meaning they orbit much quicker than other planets, according to NASA.

When was the last time 6 planets aligned?
The last time a planetary alignment, or “planet parade,” occurred was in January, when four bright planets and two faint planets were visible in the night sky. Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Uranus and Neptune were visible in some areas during the month. Uranus and Neptune proved more difficult to spot and required a telescope to see. The phenomenon also took place in June 2024.

When are planets going to align in February?
Four planets — Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — have remained visible in the night sky in February, although you have to act fast if you want to see Saturn, which is slowly sinking lower in the sky after sunset as the month progresses.

Uranus and Neptune, which orbit in the dim, cold depths of the outer solar system, are hard to spot, but are there. Neptune “absolutely” requires a telescope to see, according to NASA, while Uranus is technically bright enough to detect if you have good eyesight, it’s faint and requires some knowledge of where to look in the sky.

The seven-planet alignment will happen on Friday, Feb. 28.

When will seven planets be visible in 2025?
Seven planets align Friday when Mercury joins Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus and Saturn, according to BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

It’s important to note that while talk of seven-planet alignments have created a lot of social media chatter, simply looking up in the night sky and seeing a vibrant alignment of seven plants in a magnificent arc is, well, unrealistic.

Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are frequently in the night sky. Venus and Mercury, due to their smaller, faster orbits, make them a rarity to spot in the night sky, but they’ll be there too, according to NASA.

Making it even more rare is the addition of Uranus and Neptune — thus a seven-planet parade — but very few will see them. Both are very difficult to spot without the proper equipment and resources to find their exact location in the sky. Having a cloud-free sky and viewing the sky before dawn or after sunset are also key.

How can I get the best view of the planets?
Steer clear of city lights and head to an open area or hill. If the skies are clear, most of the planets will be visible to the naked eye.

Astronomers recommend a telescope with at least an 8-inch aperture at 50 times magnification to see Uranus and its rings, and 150 times magnification to see Neptune. Saturn and its glorious rings can be spotted at 25 times magnification, astronomers say.

It’s also a good idea to download a stargazer app to help you navigate the night sky.