When (and How) to Watch Parade of the Planets This Month
Finding one or two planets in our solar system is worth taking a closer look at the sky, but seeing (almost) all of them in a row at once is the highlight for skywatchers this month. Here’s how to see the February parade of planets.
What is a “parade of planets”?
“Parade of planets” is not a technical astronomical term, but it is used to describe a phenomenon visible from Earth in which several planets – due to their position in orbit around the Sun – appear to be lined up with each other. Colloquially, the word is sometimes used as a synonym for “planetary alignment”, although the phrase can have multiple meanings .
While alignments of two or three planets are quite common, alignments of four or five (or more) are less common. Planetary alignments typically last several weeks, although visibility changes during this time as the planets continue to move in their orbits. The current parade actually began at the end of January and will last until the end of February.
When, where and how to see the planetary alignment this February
Media coverage of the February 2025 parade varies depending on the exact details, but what we do know is that Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be seen together—visible to the naked eye—during this month. Uranus and Neptune also join the parade, but they will need a telescope or very good binoculars to observe.
Mercury will appear in conjunction with Saturn on February 24—according to Space.com , you’ll be able to see both objects on the west-southwest horizon if you have clear skies and binoculars. However, NASA says you shouldn’t get your hopes up because both planets may be too low and dim to see at this point.
The parade will be visible across North America, and the best time to see it is during the first few hours after dusk: from about 8:30 pm to midnight local time, after which several planets will fall below the horizon. Note that Saturn will begin to fade from view around the middle of the month, and visibility will be minimal after sunset.
As with any sky viewing, ideal conditions include clear, dark skies with minimal light pollution or cloud cover. If you want to catch Uranus and/or Neptune, bring a telescope with at least 50x magnification for the former and 150x magnification for the latter.
Finally, if you need help finding and identifying planets, try an astronomy app like Star Walk 2 or Stellarium .