Planet Parade ahead! Planets you can spot with the naked eye

Skygazers, get ready because a rare celestial event known as the Planet Parade will unfold tonight, Jan. 25. The celestial event started on January 21, and will continue till Jan. 29, 2025. You will get the rare opportunity to witness six planets aligning in the night sky.

What is Planet Parade 2025?
Planet parade is a rare astronomical event where three or more planets become visible together in the night sky. Though planets often appear in the sky along a line, but what makes this astronomical event rare is that you get to see not three, but six planets! Four or five bright planets aligning is a less common sight. Also, 'planet parade' is not really a technical term in astronomy!

Six planets
This month's planetary parade is an extraordinary celestial event because of the number of visible bright planets. You can see six planets in the night sky tonight. The planets include Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Venus, which don't happen every year.

Planets visible to the naked eye
Tonight, you will get to see six planets aligned in the night sky. You will find Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars with the naked eye just after the sun goes down. Though Uranus and Neptune are also in the night sky, you might need a telescope or a pair of binoculars to see them.

How and when to watch?
The best time to watch the Planetary Parade is about 45 minutes after dark. According to NASA, you will find Venus and Saturn in the southwest for the first couple of hours. Jupiter will shine brightly high overhead, and Mars will rise in the east. You can use Telescope or binoculars to get a better view of Uranus and Neptune as they don’t appear as ‘bright planets’. You will be able to witness it after sunset and shortly before dawn.



You can also visit the nearby observatories and parks across the US to get a rather beautiful view of the planetary parade. Many observatories are hosting special events for the Planet Parade. The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, the Hayden Planetarium in New York, and the McDonald Observatory in Texas offer telescopes to visitors to get the best view of the rare astronomical event.

(Pic courtesy: iStock)