The night of the 28th of February 2025, we are going to witness a once in a lifetime show. All the planets in our solar system will be visible from Earth. That means the 7 planets will be on the same hemisphere.
This is a once in a lifetime occurrence, as it occurs around every 70 years. The last 7 planet alignment occurred the 27th February 1953. That was 72 years ago, for most of us tomorrow will be the first and only time we get to see something like this.
Here is everything you need to know to be ready for when this occurs.
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What planets are going to be visible?
The 28th of February 2025, 7 planets will be visible at the same time, those are, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Of course, we will also be able to see Earth, our home, instead of looking to the sky, we will need to look to the floor for a second if we want to see the 8 planets at the same time.
If you want to learn more about each planet, not long ago I created a Planet Comparison Tool.
What planets will I be able to see with the naked eye?
With your naked eye you won’t be able to see all the planets, as some of them are really far away, and are not that bright to be easily observable.
It is important you choose a dark location, free of light pollution. If you were thinking of watching it in the middle of the city, maybe it won’t be such a great idea. Try going to an area that is far from human activity, or that it has as little as possible, as light pollution will truly make it hard for you to see as many planets. Don’t forget to also check the weather, as clouds will ruin it for you.
That being said, if you are on an (almost) empty-free light pollution zone, then you are going to be able to observe the following planets:
- Venus: Often the brightest planet, easily spotted shortly after sunset.
- Mars: Recognizable by its reddish hue.
- Jupiter: Bright and prominent in the night sky.
- Saturn: Visible as a bright point of light, though its rings won’t be discernible without a telescope.
- Mercury: This planet can sometimes be seen with the naked eye; however, because it appears low on the horizon near sunset, observing it may require optimal conditions.
If you have some equipment, like a telescope or binoculars, you will also be able to see:
- Mercury: Provided that you weren’t able to see it with the naked eye, you will be able to see it now.
- Uranus: Dim and barely visible without optical aid.
- Neptune: Too faint to be seen with the naked eye.
At what time will the Planetary Parade occur?
First and foremost, the exact time when you will be able to see this phenomenon, varies greatly depending on your location.
Although it is not exact, the best time to watch the planetary parade on your location will be shortly after sunset.
Take me as an example, I live in Madrid (Spain), here sunset will occur at 19:06, from that very moment I will be able to observe the planetary parade until 19:50, when Saturn will no longer be visible from my location.
I checked all the times when planets will be visible from my location, as well as the sunset and sunrise, using a tool called Stellarium.
I have the mobile app, but I guess you can also check all this information from their web or desktop version.
How often does a 7 planet parade occur?
A 7 planet parade is a rare event, that usually occurs once in a lifetime. But, if you live for another 15 years, you will be able to see another 7 planet parade on March 20, 2040.
Usually this event occurs once every 50–100 years, the last one being in 1953, which was 72 years ago.
Why is such an event so rare?
The event is so rare, due to the fact, that each planet has a different orbital period. While it takes Earth 365 days to make a full orbit around the Sun, it takes only 88 days for Mercury, but 164.79 years for Neptune. Due to this immense difference in orbits and speed, it is really unlikely that 7 planets are visible in the same area.
What is more, for 7 planets to align, it occurs once every 70 years more or less, but if we include just one planet, Pluto, then it would take over 350 years to witness the 7 planets + Pluto alignment.
Thus, watching a 3 planets alignment, although is rare, once every 3 years more or less, witnessing all the planets of the Solar System at the same time is a once in a lifetime event.