When (and How) to Watch This Month's 'Planet Parade'

Spotting one or two of the planets in our solar system is well worth a good skywatch, but seeing (almost) all of them in a line at once is a highlight for celestial observers this month. Here's how to view February's planet parade.

What is a "planet parade?"

"Planet parade" isn't a technical astronomy term, but it is used to describe a phenomenon visible from Earth in which several planets—thanks to their position in orbit around the sun—appear to line up with each other. Colloquially, it is sometimes used interchangeably with "planetary alignment," though that phrase can have several meanings.

While two or three planets aligning is fairly common, parades of four or five (or more) occur less frequently. Planetary alignments typically last for several weeks, though visibility varies over that time as the planets continue their orbits. The current parade actually began in late January and will last until late February.

When, where, and how to see the planets in alignment this February

Media coverage of the February 2025 parade varies on the exact details, but we know for sure that Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn can be seen together—visible to the naked eye—throughout this month. Uranus and Neptune are also joining the parade but require a telescope or very good binoculars to observe.

Mercury will make an appearance on Feb. 24 when in conjunction with Saturn—according to Space.com's coverage, you may be able to spot both on the west-southwest horizon if you have a clear sky and binoculars. However, NASA says you shouldn't get your hopes up, as both planets may be too low and dim at that point to see.

The parade will be visible across North America and the best time to catch it is in the first few hours after dusk: between about 8:30 pm and midnight local time, after which several of the planets will drop below the horizon. Note that Saturn will begin to fall out of view around mid-month, with minimal visibility after sunset.

As with any celestial viewing, ideal conditions include a clear, dark sky with minimal light pollution or cloud cover. If you want to catch Uranus and/or Neptune, bring along a telescope with at least 50x magnification for the former and 150x magnification for the latter.

Finally, if you need some help finding and identifying the planets, try an astronomy app like Star Walk 2 or Stellarium.

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