It's only the beginning of 2025, but some really exciting astronomical events are already happening for stargazers around the world. For starters, an amazing event is underway—one that can be easily seen with the naked eye. Throughout January, four planets will shine brightly in the night sky, forming a “planet parade” that you surely won't want to miss.
According to NASA, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will appear brightly in the sky the first couple of hours after dark. Venus and Saturn will be visible in the southwest, while Jupiter will be above them and Mars can be found to the east. If you have a telescope at hand, you'll be able to gaze at two more planets, Uranus and Neptune.
Planets always appear on a long a “line” in the sky, known as the ecliptic, which is the plane in which all planets orbit around the Sun. In turn, it's also the reason why planets seem to be so close to each other in the night sky. So the alignment of planets isn't actually what makes this celestial event so special. Instead, the real treat, NASA says, is seeing four or five bright planets at once—something that doesn't happen every year.
One of the most special elements of this event is seeing the conjunction of Venus and Saturn, which again, we owe to the ecliptic and our place in the solar system. These two planets, while millions of miles away from each other in space, will come within a couple of finger width's distance apart in the sky, with their closest encounter being on January 17 and 18 before they grow apart again.
Rounding out the thrilling celestial sight will be an extra bright Mars. The Red Planet will be reaching opposition, meaning that it will be directly opposite the Sun from Earth, forming a straight line and making it seem bigger than usual. This happens once every two years and while NASA says it's not scheduled to be one of the most exciting oppositions, Mars will still be closer than normal, making for a great opportunity to gaze at our neighboring planet. It will also be the only planet visible on January mornings—so you could at least grab a glimpse of that, should you miss the “planet parade” happening after dusk.
To stay up to date with more amazing astronomical events, make sure to visit NASA's website.
Throughout January, four planets will shine brightly in the night sky, forming a “planet parade”—a rare treat that doesn't happen every year.
According to NASA, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will appear brightly in the sky the first couple of hours after dark.
Source: What’s Up: January 2025 Skywatching Tips from NASA
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