A rare alignment of 6 planets is happening in the North Texas sky – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

On By Littum

A rare sight is coming to North Texas in late January 2025. Six planets – Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn and Venus will create an arc in the evening sky. This event will be visible in February.

WHEN AND WHERE TO SEE?

The six planets will be visible in the days immediately leading up to January 21 and for about four weeks thereafter. Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn must be visible to the naked eye. You need a powerful viewing device like a telescope to see Neptune and Uranus. Look toward the southeast to southwest sky.

The best time to see the planets will be after sunset until around 8.30 p.m. You may still be able to catch Venus, Saturn, and Neptune on the horizon after that, but all three planets will be below the horizon at 23.30 to midnight. After that, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will remain visible for a few more hours, with Mars finally setting just before sunrise.

HOW TO OVERCOME THE EVENT?

This prime viewing opportunity is away from the city lights of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

WHY DO PLANETARY ALIGNMENTS CUT?

All the planets in the solar system orbit the Sun at different distances and speeds. Thus they move relative to each other in our night sky here on Earth. Sometimes their paths will seem to cross, leading to an alignment or conjunction.

A “planetary alignment” is not a perfectly straight line in space. Rather, a celestial event where several planets appear close together in the sky from our perspective on Earth.

WHEN WILL THE PLANETS ALIGN AGAIN?

The next planetary alignment involving these planets will occur several times in 2025, including alignments with 5 to 7 planets. Also, some major planetary adjustments will occur in the coming centuries.

  • 15 April 2025 – Morning alignment of Neptune, Mercury, Saturn and Venus.
  • 11 August 2025 – Morning alignment of Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn.
  • 19 May 2161 – All the planets of the solar system, including Earth, will align on one side of the Sun before dawn.
  • November 7, 2176 – All the planets of the solar system, including Earth, will align on one side of the Sun after sunset.
  • 6 May 2492 – All the planets of the solar system, including Earth, will align on one side of the Sun after sunset.