This is a panorama of the backyard on a rare clear night in January 2025, with the Moon’s first quarter high … [+]
Have you been reading on social media about the “once in 396 billion year” planetary alignment happening on January 25th? Guess what? Social media is unreliable. Here’s what’s really going on—and why you shouldn’t wait.
Four planets are easily visible to the naked eye this month. Next month, for a short period, there will be five. It’s not out of order, not particularly rare, and certainly not some kind of weird lineup – as the online ads would have you believe – but it’s a spectacular sight. But is it one of the best stargazing and astronomy sights of 2025?
Here’s the truth about the so-called “parade of the planet” and when you can see it at its best throughout this month and throughout February.
What is a ‘Parade of the Planet?’
It is a common term used by amateurs when there are more than two planets in the night sky. Unfortunately, the articles promoting them often justify them with promotional images of planets like Uranus and Neptune, which are too small to be seen with the naked eye. So why is the term “planet parade” being used in 2025? This is mainly because Jupiter remains bright while Venus and Mars are coming into the brightest sky in the sky after sunset for several years. With Saturn still hanging around and Mercury making an occasional appearance, four or five planets can be seen with the naked eye.
Why is it not an “approximation”
The planets are always aligned with each other. The solar system is not a mess of planets running all over it as they orbit the sun. The solar system is like an omelette. The planets revolve in close circles around it, each a little further apart, so it takes longer to orbit. This is the plane of the solar system. Consequently, you can see all the planets in the solar system in a line in the night sky. It’s easy to find because it’s also the sun’s path across the daytime sky. It’s called the ecliptic, mainly because it’s roughly where the moon also orbits, occasionally crossing it to eclipse the sun.
How many planets are visible in the night sky depends on where they are in their journeys around the sun, especially where the Earth is in its journey. Some will appear near the sun—so you’re “up” all day, but lost in its glow. This is usually true with Venus and Mercury, the two inner planets. Others will be far from the sun, so visible at night from Earth.
Why is it not a “once in 396 billion years” event.
The universe has been around for 13.7 billion years, so it’s not like you’ve missed anything—or ever will. The “once in 396 billion years” claim comes from a complete misunderstanding of a theoretical point made by Jean Meeus in his 1997 book. Bites of Mathematical Astronomy. According to The sky and the telescopein trying to answer whether all eight planets could be visible in Earth’s sky, he came up with the figure of 396 billion years, but, more importantly, he referred to planets that were within 1.8 degrees of each other. This month’s “Planet Parade” sees many of the planets in the sky, but they’re not close together—and certainly not within 1.8 degrees!
‘Parades of the planet’ in January and March
In January, six planets – Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Uranus (not visible) and Neptune (not visible) – are gracing the night sky. Look west just after sunset to spot Venus and Saturn, while Jupiter and Mars can be found in the east. A great evening for spotting the planets is January 21, when the moon reaches its last quarter phase and rises around midnight.
From the beginning of March, Mercury joins the planetary formation, visible briefly in the first week of the month. In March. 8, look west just after sunset to catch Mercury between Saturn and Venus before it quickly sinks below the horizon, accompanied by a crescent moon.
I wish you clear skies and open eyes.
