Will the planets align in January? What to know about ‘planet parade’

On January 22, 2025By Littum

Six planets will be visible in the night sky in January, but planetary alignments are nothing special.

Stargazers who have heard about a stunning planetary alignment coming later in January may be let down if they look up at the night sky expecting to be dazzled.

Yes, six planets will be visible in the night sky in January. And yes, they will stand in line.

But because planets always appear in a line from our Earth-bound vantage point, the alignment is nothing out of the norm. What’s less common, according to astronomers, is seeing so many bright planets at once.

Here’s what you need to know about this month’s so-called Planet Parade, including how and where to watch it.

Will the planets align in January?

The planets in our solar system essentially orbit along a line across the sky in a plane called the ecliptic.

For that reason, planets in our earthly sky always appear somewhere along a line, according to EarthSkya website dedicated to cosmic news. Although these events are common, they are often referred to as planetary alignments.

The ecliptic is also why we on Earth sometimes observe planets that appear to be approaching close together in the sky “as they careen about the cosmic racetrack.” according to NASA.

While alignments themselves aren’t special, what might be notable for stargazers are the six planets that will be visible this month—including four with the naked eye. Such an event is commonly known as a “planet parade,” although NASA noted that the term is not technically an astronomical term.

What is a planet parade and what will be visible?

Planet parades are how astronomers and stargazers refer to the events when the planets form a straight line and appear to be marching across the night sky, such as a similar parade that took place in June.

In January, four bright planets and two faint planets will be visible in the night sky.

Here is a list of the planets that will be visible to some this month:

Venus

Saturn

Jupiter

Mars

Uranus

Neptune

“These multiplanet viewing opportunities aren’t super rare, but they don’t happen every year, so it’s worth checking out,” NASA said in a January summary of sky-watching tips.

How and when to watch the planetary parade

Venus and Saturn already had theirs close approach, called a “conjunction”, last week.

But all month after dark, viewers can find Venus and Saturn in the southwest for the first few hours, while Jupiter shines brightly overhead and Mars rises in the east. All four planets will be visible to the naked eye.

Uranus and Neptune will also be around, but they won’t appear as bright and will require a telescope to see, according to NASA.

Eric Lagatta covers the latest and trending news for USA TODAY. Contact him at [email protected]