The night sky is a dazzling sight to behold on any given night (as long as conditions are clear). But when a planet shows up extra bright among the millions of stars, it’s even more exciting. And do you know what’s even more spectacular than that? When you can see all the planets at the same time.
That’s not something that happens very often. But this week, seven planets in the Milky Way are getting in formation to give us here on Earth a stunning display known as a ‘planetary parade’. It’ll mark the last time this specific phenomenon will be visible until 2040. After weeks of anticipation, the event is finally here: it’ll take place tonight, on Friday, February 28 2025.
Want to get a glimpse of the rare ‘planet parade’ event? Here’s everything you need to know, from what exactly a ‘planet parade’ is to the weather.
What is the planetary parade?
The planetary parade is when every planet in our solar system appear to line up perfectly. That’s Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury and Saturn (sorry, Pluto is a dwarf planet and doesn’t count).
It doesn’t have to be when the planets are in a straight line, but simply when they gather closely on one side of the sun.
When can I see the planets align in 2025?
Six of the planets are already aligned in the sky, but Mercury is yet to arrive to complete the formation. The full alignment is happening this evening, on February 28, and experts say that the best time to see it will be just after sunset as the stars start to show up in the sky.
How to see the planet parade in the UK
Most of the planets will be visible with the naked eye, appearing brighter than the most vibrant stars in the sky. But you’ll need a pair of binoculars or a telescope if you want to spot Neptune or Uranus.
As with any celestial display, you should find somewhere with minimal light pollution and an uninterrupted view of the sky for the best view.
NASA has given some advice on where in the sky you should be able to see each planet. Mercury will be bright just above the horizon, Venus will be to the west, Mars high in the east, Jupiter high overhead and Saturn low in the west.
Weather
Obviously, the night sky can put on as spectacular display as it likes – but if the weather is bad, Brits will have a hard time seeing it. So, how is the weather shaping up on Friday?
The sun will have set by around 5.40 in the UK, so here’s the weather report for around 7pm. And at the moment it’s looking pretty good for much of the country.
In much of England and Wales, only spotty cloud cover is expected on Friday evening. The further north you go, however, the more likely there is to be cloud cover. It’s looking like there’ll be quite a lot of cloudiness over Scotland, Northern Ireland and northeast England.
Find an up-to-date forecast, wherever you are, on the Met Office website here.
When is the next planetary alignment?
The next alignment of five or more planets is expected in October 2028, then again in February 2034. However, the next parade of all seven planets isn’t until September 8 2040.
Did you see that the northern lights will be much more frequent in the south of England from now on?
Plus: These are the best places to go stargazing in the UK.
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