Topline
A rare celestial spectacle is gracing the night sky this February, as seven planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — are in the post-sunset sky in a phenomenon most accurately called a “planetary parade.”
Key Facts
Seven planets are currently in the post-sunset night sky, which occurs about once every three years or less. However, only five planets — Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and Saturn — are visible to the naked eye.
Contrary to a lot of media coverage, not all of the planets are visible to the naked eye. Venus, Jupiter and Mars are simple targets, but Saturn and Mercury are hard to see, while Uranus and Neptune are not visible to the naked eye.
Venus, shining in the west, is by far the brightest. It’s eight times brighter than the next-brightest planet, Jupiter, high above in the constellation Taurus. Jupiter, in turn, is almost six times brighter than Mars, the reddish-looking planet high in the southeast in the constellation Gemini.
Mercury, which is currently rising into the post-sunset sky, and Saturn, which is close to sinking into the sun’s glare, just a few degrees above the western horizon, so very difficult to spot. Observers hoping to catch a glimpse of Uranus and Neptune will need binoculars or a telescope.
The event is mistakenly called a “planetary alignment” by much of the media. It’s an entirely visual line-of-sight phenomenon, with the planets merely visible from Earth’s night side for a short time after sunset. Planets orbit the sun on more-or-less the same plane, called the ecliptic, so they are always “aligned.”
Best Time To See The ‘planet Parade’
Observers should look toward the western horizon shortly after sunset for the best chance of seeing Mercury and Saturn. Visibility conditions will vary based on location and weather.
“You really only have a few minutes after sunset to catch them before they drop below the horizon,” said Dr Edward Bloomer, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, to the BBC. “After that, you’ll still be able to see Venus, Jupiter, and Mars clearly for a much longer time.”
March will see the end of the “planet parade,” with Saturn, Venus and Mercury all passing into the sun’s glare to reemerge into the dawn sky in April. Only Mars and Jupiter will remain visible to the naked eye.
When To See The Crescent Moon Join The ‘planet Parade’
The sight of three bright planets — and some bonus dimmer planets for those with low horizons — will be improved upon from Saturday, March 1, 2025, when a crescent moon joins the fray. It will appear to the lower-left of Venus just after sunset, but at just 6% illumination, it will be tricky to spot without binoculars. It will be a much easier target just after sunset on Sunday, March 2, 2025, when it will be 12% illuminated and just above Venus.
Background
To have seven planets in the night sky together is a rare occurrence, with the current gathering of planets said to be the densest for 40 years. For those hoping to catch all seven planets at once in the post-sunset sky, this event won’t be repeated until 2036. The next major planetary parade featuring six planets will occur before sunrise on August 29, 2025, though it will not include Mars.