You may have heard that a “planetary alignment” will be seen in January 2025 and February, but you may be curious about which planets will be visible and how unique this “alignment” is.
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune can all be seen in the night sky during January and February of 2025, making these months ideal for planet observation (except from Mercury).
Yes, 2025 has gotten off to a great start. On January 3, Venus appeared next to the crescent Moon, and on January 13, Mars came very close to the full Moon.
Additionally, Venus and Saturn have been moving closer together. They were at their closest on January 18 and are still visible together in the early evenings.
However, what is the true significance of this alleged ‘planetary alignment’ in 2025? And is there really anything unique about it?
Parades and alignments of planets
Seeing several planets in the night sky at once is a typical occurrence, whether you refer to it as a planetary alignment or a planetary parade.
Furthermore, seeing planets in a “line” across the sky is not unusual.
The ‘ecliptic’ is an imagined line that the Sun’s journey follows across the midday sky.
Because Earth and every other planet in the Solar System formed from the same flat disc of gas and dust that originally encircled our young Sun, the ecliptic is the result.
This indicates that all of the planets in the Solar System, including Earth, occupy about the same orbital plane and, as a result, generally follow the ecliptic line in the sky.
Therefore, if there are several planets in the sky, they will be roughly positioned along this line. And this is one method of distinguishing between a star and a planet.
Additionally, it explains why so-called “planetary alignments” are actually inevitable.
However, that doesn’t lessen how remarkable they are to witness for oneself.
The genuine appearance of this ‘planetary alignment’ in January and February of 2025 will be examined.
January of 2025.
The planetary alignment of Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, together with Uranus and Neptune, will be visible in the sky if you go out at about 19:00 UTC in January 2025.
Venus and Saturn will be near each other in the southwest, Jupiter in the southeast, and Mars in the east at this time.
Jupiter is simple to see because it is seen above the constellation Orion.
In the dusk sky, Venus appears like a strikingly bright star and is quite stunning to view.
Mars, which achieved opposition on January 16, 2025, is luminous and high in the sky.
It will be possible to see Uranus and Neptune, but you will need a telescope and dark sky to see them.
Located ‘right’ of Jupiter and forming a triangle with Jupiter and the Pleiades open star cluster, Uranus is also fairly high in the night sky.
Neptune is more difficult to see; it can only be seen through a telescope in the same region of the sky as Venus and Saturn, and it gets lower in altitude as January comes to an end.
As January draws to a close, you’ll see that Venus and Saturn are becoming farther separated every night.
Why January 21st?
The ideal night to witness this “planetary alignment” is probably January 21st, but in reality, the planets will be in essentially the same positions before and after this day.
On the other hand, starting on January 21, the Moon continues to wane and lose its brightness, growing lower and rising just after midnight.
For instance, the Moon won’t rise until the morning of January and February 2025, and even then, it will only be a very thin crescent.
February of 2025.
In February 2025, the planets are still visible in the night sky, but this “planetary alignment” will not remain due to daylighting and altitude decrease.
Actually, the beginning of February 2025 will be the greatest period to see Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
However, there are a few good places to see stars.
There will be a fantastic opportunity to see something really amazing on February 1st: Venus, Saturn, and Neptune will all be in the same twilight area of the sky, around a very thin crescent Moon that is only 12% illuminated.
You will need clear, dark skies and binoculars (if not a telescope) to see Neptune, but you will be able to see Venus and Saturn with the naked eye.
The lengthening days and Neptune’s height render it unfeasible as a night sky object after the first week of February.
Mars will be in close proximity to the Moon on February 9.
Additionally, Mars will seem to change course on February 24th, moving eastward instead of westward.
Around 22:30 UTC, Mars will still be high in the southwest sky, but it will have significantly diminished by the end of February.
Jupiter is still bright and in a good position throughout February; watch for its encounter with the Moon on February 6.
In the early hours of February 7, the planet and the Moon will be visible side by side in the night sky, with Jupiter to the Moon’s “left.”
The planets will be more difficult to discern as the days get longer as we approach mid-March.
Take advantage of the planets and enjoy the last few weeks of winter by going outside on a clear night.
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