January 10, 2025
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/YouTube
In January, an event known as a 'parade of planets' will make Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn bright and visible in the night sky. The alignment of the planets also includes Neptune and Uranus — too dim to be seen without a telescope — and Mercury for a brief period during the final week of the month.
Stargazers will have the opportunity to view as many as seven planets in the night sky this month during an event that's sometimes called a "parade of planets" because the celestial bodies appear to be aligned across the horizon.
Beginning Jan. 21, most people in the United States will be able to view at least four planets with varying levels of clarity based on weather conditions, light pollution and the brightness of some of the planets.
MORE: Museums and culture centers are offering discounts on tickets and memberships during winter
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be the easiest to spot. Uranus and Neptune also are part of the so-called alignment but will only be visible using a telescope. Mercury may also be visible with the other planets for a period of a few days starting Jan. 25.
Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at the Franklin Institute, explained that the planets don't suddenly "click" into visible positions on certain dates. They come into various alignments above our horizon throughout the year, appearing in different combinations and at various distances from one another depending on the interaction of their orbits. The alignment this month is not necessarily rare, but it doesn't happen every year, either.
"This is a very slow, very gradual process. For the last two or three weeks, planets have been slowly appearing to shift across the sky — partially because of our orbital motion around the sun and partially because of the motion of the inner planets," Pitts said.
A "parade of planets" happens when the orbits of the nearer and more distant planets enter favorable positions of observation during the same period of time. The appearance of planetary alignment across the sky is only an illusion, since the planets are positioned at different depths in space.
"What makes it significant for this January is that we actually have Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars — four bright, visible planets — in the evening sky easy to see at a comfortable time of observing," Pitts said. "It's not that it only happens in January, or January of 2025. Something similar will happen later this year. It will just be different lineup of planets. The event that's happening now, it's been going on already for three or four weeks."
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shared a YouTube video that helps visualize the science of what's happening this month.
The best time to view the planets in January and into February will be from just after sunset until about midnight. It's recommended to find an area that offers a clear view of the horizon. Venus and Saturn will appear close together and low on the western horizon. Jupiter will be high in the sky toward the east end of the horizon. And Mars will be positioned lower and further east on the horizon.
"I always start with Venus," Pitts said. "Venus' appearance is unique. At first blush, you might say, 'It doesn't look like much.' But no other planet looks like Venus — bright, clear, white color. Any time you see an object that looks like Venus right now, it's got to be Venus. ... What that does for a casual observer is it gives them a certain level of accomplishment or certainty that they've been able to identify a planet."
After spotting Venus, Pitts said Mars will stand out for its rosy color. Jupiter has a bright, creamy color. Saturn is a dim yellow color, and its icy rings will not be visible to the naked eye. Mercury has a grayish-brown appearance and might become visible low on the southeast horizon during the final week of the month.
"When it's far enough away from the sun's flare, a sharp-eyed observer with great patience and a good, clear view of the eastern horizon — like right down low to the horizon — would be able to spot this if they knew what they were looking for," Pitts said. "It's a challenge."
Pitts recommends that casual observers use the stargazing app Stellarium to help them get oriented with the positions of the planets on the horizon. He said it can take practice and several days of observation, but once people learn to identify the planets, their appearance becomes much easier to distinguish in the future.
"Identifying planets is not something that people do every day," Pitts said. "It's not a common activity, and people are always nervous or they feel insecure about identifying objects in the night sky."
Earlier this week, the Youtube channel NASA Space News posted a video highlighting certain dates that will be optimal for viewing planets this month. Many of these dates correspond to nights when a crescent moon — easily identified in the sky — is near to certain planets and can be used as a guidepost. NASA also has a page with skywatching tips for multiple celestial events that observers can check out this month, including the Quadrantid meteor shower.
Pitts suggests casual stargazers make an effort to identify Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars over the coming month.
"The four bright planets are visible any clear night between sunset and about 8 p.m., from now until mid-February," Pitts said. "Venus and Saturn set just after 8 p.m., so plan your viewing accordingly. They can be seen anywhere you have a clear view of the full sky."
