Tonight You Can Marvel at Six Planets in a Spectacular Planet Parade

This year is shaping up to be a great one for stargazers, with a rare planet lineup expected in the night sky tonight, January 21. A planet parade is a rare event where multiple planets in our solar system appear at the same time in the evening sky. Tonight, six planets will be visible, including Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus.

These six planets were visible in the days before and after January 21st, as well as for about a month afterward. Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are visible to the naked eye; however, it takes a powerful telescope to spot Neptune and Uranus.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the best time to view the planets as they appear in the night sky is approximately 8:30 p.m. local time after sunset. You may still be able to spot Venus, Saturn, and Neptune in the horizon around this time, but all three planets should be below the horizon by a little before midnight, considering your specific time zone. Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus will remain visible for a while after that, with Mars disappearing from view just before sunrise.

This one is expected to last awhile because the planets are in a favorable position in the sky. You should be able to spot all six planets every night until almost the last week of February.

After that, a parade of all seven planets in our solar system except for Earth will begin as Mercury temporarily joins the others in the sky for a couple of days. This is turning into a conjunction of all seven planets visible together. It will be challenging to spot all of them, as Saturn, Mercury, and Neptune will be near the sun at sunset, but they will still be present.

By the time March starts, Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune will have moved too close to the sun to be easily seen, with Venus not far behind, leaving Jupiter, Mars, and Uranus to be visible in the night sky until the next astronomical alignment begins.

Will the planetary parade be visible from my location?

All locations, if not the majority, in the US, Canada, and Mexico should be able to spot the planetary lineup due to its extended duration and minimal planetary movement. We looked at observatories in California, Texas, Ohio, and New York in the US, as well as Calgary in Canada and Mexico City, Mexico. We were able to identify all six planets at each site, which means your location's latitude and longitude won't impact your view.

A new moon is when the moon is hidden from view because of the way the Earth and sun's light are aligned.

Each lunar cycle lasts approximately 27.3 days, or 29.5 days for complete cycles, encompassing the time it takes for the moon to orbit Earth.

You won't have to wait long to see all six planets visible in the sky at once. They will be visible right after the sun sets. Within a few hours after it gets dark, Venus, Saturn, and Neptune will disappear below the horizon for the night. This is true regardless of your location, as the timing works out to be roughly the same everywhere.

For the past few days in February, Mercury will be visible to the naked eye and a total of seven planets will be visible. Greatest viewing conditions will be immediately after sunset, while it may be more challenging to spot while the sun is still low in the horizon.

Do I need any special equipment to watch the parade?

in all its glory.

Standard viewing rules for the night sky also apply here. You'll want to get away from city lights, which can distort your view. Even the suburbs may not be distant enough for many people. If you're planning a long drive out of the city and its environs, make sure it's a clear night with as little cloud cover as possible.

When using a telescope, be very mindful of where you point it.

How can I locate the planets in the night sky?

as well.

I couldn't find any information on a planetary parade. Could you provide more context or clarify what you're looking for?

It's often referred to as a "parade of planets."

The official term used is planetary alignment, however this phrase can sometimes cause some confusion. Some people understand it to mean that the planets are positioned on the same side of the sun, right next to each other. It's worth noting that the planets can't all perfectly line up like they're often depicted in pictures, but they can be on the same side of the sun and appear nearly aligned.

In everyday use, though, planetary parades and alignments are essentially used interchangeably and refer to when multiple planets are visible in the night sky at the same time. These planets may not necessarily be close together in their orbits, but they are in view from Earth's perspective.