Parade of 7 planets is a don’t-miss ‘great alignment’ in the sky: Where, when and how to watch

A seven-luminaries-deep parade of planets will line up and light up the night sky this week, folks.

Just after sunset on Feb. 28, 2025, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will align for our viewing pleasure.

A planetary alignment goes down, up high, when more than two planets align in the sky.

How often do six planets align?

There are eight planets in our solar system, nine if you count dwarf power planet Pluto.

Because we live on Earth, the maximum number of planets we can see from our vantage, for now, is seven — or eight, if Pluto is in the mix.

If three planets align, it’s known as a mini-planetary alignment; four makes for a small planetary alignment; five or more is considered large; seven equals a great alignment; and on the ultra-rare occasion that eight are in alignment, we have a full planetary alignment.

When we have five or more planets filing into a small sky area, an alignment is upgraded to parade status. Parade is not an official astronomical term and is used fast, loose and with a touch more whimsy than space experts usually allow for.

A planetary alignment or parade of six planets has been visible since the first part of February. However, on Friday, Feb. 28, Mercury joins the sky soup, making for a cool seven and upgrading the night sky scene to a great alignment.

The last time there was a seven-planet parade was in June 2022.

Whether you call it a planetary alignment or a planetary parade, it’s not uncommon for multiple planets to be visible together in the night sky. According to the knowledgable nerds at NASA, seven-planet parades “aren’t super rare, but they don’t happen every year either.”

An alignment of six planets, though, is fairly regular and can happen at least every year. A similar parade occurred last June, but only two planets were visible to the naked eye.

How they’ll stack up on Feb. 28, 2025

In any number, an alignment doesn’t mean all planets are in a straight line in space — rather, they’re gathered closely on one side of the sun and, in the case of this week, making more of a long arch than a straight line.

Four planets — Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Mars — will be visible to the naked eye.

To catch sight of Uranus and Neptune, you’ll need a telescope or a pair of binoculars. Saturn will be the most elusive of the luminaries, and because it will be hanging close to the sun, you’ll need to look up at a specific time.

Depending on your location, Saturn may not be visible.

The beauty of this week’s alignment is that it coincides with the new moon in Pisces, meaning the sky will be at its darkest point in the lunar cycle, amplifying the visibility of the planets — including even fainter luminaries like Uranus and Neptune.

How to see the planetary alignment Friday night

In terms of how the shine will shake out, consider this:

Mars, looking regal and red, will be the highest in the sky in the constellation of Gemini.

Jupiter, second only to Venus in brightness this month, will be a little lower in the constellation of Taurus.

Uranus is next in the lineup in between the constellations of Aries and Taurus.

In perfectly dark and clear conditions, Uranus is visible to the naked eye. However, the world is an imperfect place, so to guarantee you’ll catch a glimpse of the side-spinning planet of the absurd and unruly, binoculars or a telescope are recommended.

Closer to the western horizon, near the constellation of Pisces, you’ll see hard-to-miss Venus, the brightest planet in the sky. Nearby, and still in Pisces, is Neptune, which will require binoculars or a telescope to peep.

Even closer to the horizon will be tiny, talkative Mercury, sitting pretty and close to the sun in the constellation of Aquarius.

The hardest to see — and hardest on the mettle of the mortal — is Saturn. Typically, the planet of hard knocks and the threshold of adulthood is easy to see in the night sky, but on the 28th, it will be very, very close to the sun.

To catch sight of the ringed one, find a time when the sun is below the horizon, but Saturn has yet to set.

Your best bet is to use an astronomy app like Sky Tonight. Find Saturn on the sky map, and use the Time Machine to determine the perfect moment to turn skyward.

While all seven of these planets will technically be possible to see, the faintness and proximity of Saturn and Mercury to the sun make a full picture unlikely.

Best time to see the stunning sky show

Experts suggest beginning your observations just after sunset when the planets will start to emerge from the golden glow of dusk. Optimal viewing is in the early evening when the sky is still darkening.

Aim to look up and be ready as soon as the sun dips below the horizon.

As with all awe-inspiring cosmic phenomena, the closer you get to dark sky communities and the farther away you get from light pollution, the more prime your view will be.

The good news? The planets’ brightness in cahoots with the dark skies of the new moon ensures that as long as weather permits, you’ll still be able to see the show in light-polluted cities.

When will the next planetary alignment happen?

The next time six planets will align will be Aug. 10 of this year when a large morning alignment of Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn will be visible.

According to Star Walk, the next time seven planets will align after this will be in late 2028.

Get it while you can, folks.

Astrological significance of planetary alignment

Astrologically speaking, when the planets align on Feb. 28, Saturn, Neptune and Mercury will join the sun and the moon in the opioid bathwaters of Pisces. Mars will be in the murky mother’s milk of Cancer, Venus will burn bright in the hot blood of Aries, and Jupiter will be in hyperverbal, controversy as cardio Gemini. Uranus will be wilding out in the bucolic, food-motivated pastures of Taurus.

For reference, that is a whole lot of Pisces, power folks. So if it’s challenging to discern dreams from reality, you find yourself recording stream-of-consciousness poetry, finger painting with pastels, crying at commercials, or driven towards altered states and/or the arms of your ex … well, the stars are most certainly to blame.

Good luck out there.

Astrology 101: Your guide to the star

Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.