2025 is off to a wild start for skygazers, with a parade of planets hitting the skies tonight, Jan. 21. A planetary parade is when several planets in our solar system appear in the night sky at the same time. There are six planets visible at this time, including Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus.

The six planets will be visible in the days leading up to January 21, and for about four weeks after that. Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn should be visible to the naked eye. You will need a high-powered viewing device such as a telescope to see Neptune and Uranus.

The best time to view the planets from the Northern Hemisphere is after sunset at around 8:30 pm local time. You can catch Venus, Saturn and Neptune on the horizon after that, but all three planets will be below the horizon from 11:30 pm to midnight depending on your location. After that, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will remain visible for several hours with Mars finally setting before sunrise.

Not the same leading paradesit is destined to last longer because the planets are in beneficial positions in the sky. You should be able to see all six planets every night until the last week of February.

After that, the seven-planet parade begins as Mercury joins the rest of the sky for a few days, making it a planetary parade of all seven planets in our solar system except Earth. It’s hard to see them all because Saturn, Mercury and Neptune are so close to the sun at sunset, but they’re there.

By the time March begins, Mercury, Saturn and Neptune have drifted too close to the sun to be seen with Venus not far away, leaving Jupiter, Mars and Uranus to take up residence in the night sky until the next parade begins.

Will my region see the planetary parade?

Most, if not all, locations in the US, Canada and Mexico should see the planetary parade this time thanks to the planet’s high altitude and limited motion. We examined observatories in California, Texas, Ohio and New York in the US, along with Calgary in Canada and Mexico City, Mexico. We’ve found all six planets in every location, so it doesn’t matter how far north, east, west or south you go, you’ll see them.

In general, the best time to see the planet parade is after January 21, and before February 21. The best time is the week of Jan. 29 during the new moon. (As we explain this storythe new moon is a shadowy moon, making it look like the moon is gone.) A shadowy moon reduces light pollution in the sky and makes Neptune, Uranus and Saturn easier to see.

Read more: Full Moons Explained, From Blue Moons to Supermoons to Lunar Phases

You won’t have to wait long for all six planets in the sky. They will be there soon after sunset. When it gets dark, you only have a few hours to see it before Venus, Saturn and Neptune dip below the horizon for the night. It works regardless of location, so wherever you are, everything is happening at the same time.

In the last days of February, Mercury will appear and the parade will rise to seven planets. It is best seen at sunset and is harder to see while the sun is still on the horizon.

Will I need any special equipment to see the parade?

Technically yes. You can see Venus, Mars, Jupiter and possibly Saturn with the naked eye in the right conditions. However, Neptune and Uranus are too far away to see. Astronomers noticed you’ll probably need a telescope with at least an 8-inch aperture at 50 times magnification to see Uranus and its rings, and 150 times magnification to see Neptune and its rings. If you’re so equipped, give that telescope a point at Saturn. At 25 times magnification, you can see the crown jewel of our solar system in all its glory.

The standard space viewing rules also apply here. You want to get away from the city, where light pollution can cloud your vision. Even the suburbs may not be far enough for many people. If you’re planning a long drive out of the city and its surroundings, you’ll want to make sure it’s a clear night with as little cloud cover as possible.

If you’re going out to see all seven planets at the end of February, you’ll have a tougher task ahead of you because some of the planets are quite close to the sun. You can want to invest in UV protection for your eyes and be especially careful where you point your telescope.

How can I find the planets in the sky?

Since Neptune and Uranus are particularly difficult to find paired with the fact that Saturn and Venus are in conjunction with each other, there may be some difficulty in finding all six planets in the sky. For this, there are some good tools available. See The Stellarium websitewith Night Sky Map Time and Date. That should give you a good idea of ​​where each planet relates to the others. Star Walk 2 is an excellent app to Android and iOS. Stellarium has its own Android and iOS apps as well.

What is the parade of the planet?

A parade of the planet a colloquial term that applies when four or more planets line the night sky at once. It’s not an official astronomical term so you’ll rarely hear astronomers use it. However, NASA knows to call the event as a “parade of the planets.”

The official term is planetary alignment, although that term tends to be somewhat confusing. Other interpretations of the phrase include the planets lining up on the same side of the sun next to each other. The planets will never line up perfectly as you can see in the pictures, but they can all be on the same side of the sun and pretty close to lining up.

In everyday use, however, planet parades and alignments are the same thing and simply describe when several planets are visible in the night sky at the same time. These planets may not be close to each other in their solar orbits but are visible from Earth’s perspective.