All 7 planets to align in stunning night sky view

As soon as the sun sets, step outside and look up to witness a rare celestial event: full planetary alignment. Between Feb. 23 and Feb. 28, 2025, all seven planets will align in the night sky. This alignment will be visible for less than a week before Saturn moves out of view, ending the complete formation.

How to see the planetary alignment
If you want to check sky conditions before heading out, use our interactive satellite map to see if clouds may impact your view.

Planets in alignment:

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune

Five planets will be visible with the naked eye.

Two planets will require a telescope or high-powered binoculars.

Best viewing times
The peak viewing period is expected to be on Monday, Feb. 24, and Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.

(NOTE: Planets will appear as bright stars in the sky. You will not see definition unless viewed through a telescope.)

Which planets will be visible?
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune

How bright will the planets be?
Each planet varies in brightness, measured in magnitude. The lower (or more negative) the magnitude, the brighter the planet appears to the naked eye.

For reference, the sun has an apparent magnitude of -26.7 (too bright to look at directly), while the dimmest object the human eye can detect under ideal conditions is around +6.

Planetary brightness from brightest to dimmest:

Venus: -4.8 (brightest)

Jupiter: -2.3

Mercury: -1.2

Mars: +0.4

Saturn: +1.1

Uranus: +5.8 (requires binoculars)

Neptune: +7.8 (requires a telescope)

Each step in magnitude represents a 2.5x change in brightness.

Will the moon affect visibility?
Good news! The moon will not interfere with the alignment. It will be below the horizon during the best viewing window, ensuring a darker sky for better visibility.

The Snow Moon occurred earlier in the month on Feb. 11 and 12.

When to look up
Timing is crucial. The planets will only be visible for about 90 minutes after sunset before some begin to fade from view.

Generally, the best time to look up is between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time across the United States.

Mercury and Saturn will disappear first.

As the night progresses, more planets will fade.

Mars will be the last planet visible.

What direction to look
Face south, and you’ll see:

Lower planets (Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter) positioned toward the right/west.

Higher planets (Mars and Saturn) arcing left/east.

What will the sky look like?
We have two illustrations to help visualize the planetary alignment:

1. An annotated night sky map showing the planets' positions.

Circled planets indicate those that are not visible without equipment.

2. A simulation of the sky during the alignment.

The planets align along the ecliptic, appearing as an arc in the sky.

The arc will be higher the closer you are to the equator.

The arc will be lower the farther north you are.

Will the planets form a straight line?
No. From our viewpoint on Earth, the planets will form an arc, not a straight line. This is due to the ecliptic plane, the path along which the planets orbit the sun.

What happens after February?
The seven-planet alignment ends after Feb. 28 as Saturn moves out of view.

Starting in March 2025, only a six-planet alignment will remain visible.

Final thoughts
This is a rare opportunity to witness a stunning planetary display. Be sure to head outside on a clear evening, and look toward the southern sky to catch all seven planets before they disappear.

[awesome]

Can't wait to see the parade of planets today!!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[somulol]

Today Indians celebrate Lord Shiva's festival and it's biggest worlds gathering (Kumbh Melaa)

[howardneely]

I'm looking tonight from Sydney, Australia.
Greetings American friends!

[michellefromL.A]

7 nation Planet Army couldn't hold me back !!♾️

[justineadams]

The other night managed too see Mars in orange so so cool
MR DJ TEE UK 🇬🇧

[KeyboardInvestigator]

Per my local News 28th is best viewing

[DaanArt-UK]

if someone hammer your head, you will see the entire galaxy!
To be honest i saw 4 of them.
from London

[C-THE-TRUTH]

It doesn’t matter if you see seven planets. You don’t see the Earth. What you’re seeing is seven lights in the sky. Not even planets. Planet suggested they would be something like where you’re on right now which is one gigantic hollow deck. Scotty beam me up

[Max-myrk]

We Chinese say this will make u time travel

[lifedestroyer]

THIS IS PROOF THE EARTH IS FLAT. I TOLD EVERYONE I WAS RIGHT!

[Jayscybermind-u]

Did he say you won't be able to see Uranus with the naked eye

[BholaModak-ej]

I ❤ ☁☁☁☁☁☁☁sky stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, But, Here's the topic of 7 planets where life's possible🙊🙊🙊🙊🙊🙊🙊, , Hence, we can't take to Any kind of Man-kinds name😅😅😅😅😅😅😅 Overwhelming scientifically Achievements we have😂😂😂😂😂😂😂,

[Markinlondon]

Can’t you ask Trump to move the Clouds