The Year’s Best Planet Parade Will Be Visible Starting January 18

It’s a great year for planet-watching. In addition to this week’s stellar views of Mars, stargazers can admire multiple “planet parades”—the simultaneous appearance of several planets in the night sky—in 2025. Arguably the best parade of the year commences on January 18, with Venus and Saturn appearing within 2.2 degrees, or roughly two pinky-widths, of each other. The parade will continue into mid-February, with two additional planet gatherings to follow later in 2025.

Planet parades “aren’t super rare,” according to NASA, “but they don’t happen every year” either.

Here’s how to make the most of 2025’s celestial shows.

How to View a Planet Parade

First, let’s talk planet-watching basics. You can generally see Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury with the naked eye. Uranus is sometimes naked-eye visible, but only under the darkest skies. Neptune is too small and dim for us to see unaided. A telescope can significantly enhance your view; if you don’t have one, check out the public stargazing nights at your local observatory.

I use the stargazing app SkySafari ($12.99 for the “plus” version) to navigate the night sky. And another astro hack: You can tell the difference between a planet and a star because the former glows steadily while the latter flickers. Some planets, like Mars, even have a noticeably pale-orange tinge.

The great thing about viewing planets is you don’t have to travel far. Unlike fainter interstellar sights such as the northern lights, the brightest planets are visible even in light-polluted cities. That means you could catch this year’s planet parades by stargazing from your own backyard.

Here are dates of the year’s major planet parades, with tips on where and when to look, plus recommendations for a handful of national parks with surreal cosmic views.

The Best Times to See the Planet Parade 

Technically, this month’s planet parade is already on show. Six planets—Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars—have been visible up in the sky throughout January. The parade will continue into mid-February. That said, peak observing begins this weekend, as Venus and Saturn will appear exceptionally close in the southwest sky soon after sunset on January 18, according to BBC’s Sky at Night Magazine.

On January 21, Jupiter and Venus will become even more radiant as they climb high in the evening sky with the moon staying below the horizon until after midnight. The lack of lunar light will make it easier to spot the planets and see more stars.

Another highlight of the year’s first planet parade: after sunset on February 1, Venus and the crescent moon will appear close together in the southwest sky for several hours before plummeting beneath the western horizon.

This month’s spectacle will be visible each night, weather permitting, from mid-January to mid-February between sunset and 9 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time. You can use a stargazing app to determine exact timing for your location.

More 2025 Planet Parades to Watch for

Late February

January’s interstellar gathering will be the easiest to watch—and therefore the one not to miss this year—but a late-February parade, which will be best viewed around February 28, introduces a new twist. Mercury will join the party, creating a rare gathering of all seven of our neighboring planets in the sky at once.

But the late-February viewing will be much trickier than this week. At the end of February, all planets technically will be up at the same time at dusk, but Saturn will set soon after the sun does. It will also largely get washed out by the sun’s glow, which illuminates the western horizon for up to 90 minutes after sunset. Given its close distance to the sun, Neptune, which will hang near Saturn, will also be close to impossible to spot, even through a telescope.

To see this late-February planet parade, watch the western horizon right after sunset on February 28. That’s when Mercury is most visible, with the luminous planet Venus above it. Jupiter, Mars, and Uranus will be high in the south-southeast sky that night, too.

Mid-August

After February, we’ll have a lull in major planet gatherings until mid-August, when Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, and Mercury will simultaneously parade in the pre-dawn sky. Mercury will reach its farthest distance from the sun—the period when it’s most visible—from August 19 to 20. Look for it in the pre-dawn sky on August 20.

Mercury will rise over the east horizon, with Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent moon nearly aligned over it. Saturn and Neptune will also be close together, above the western horizon, with Uranus overhead.

Best Places to View the 2025 Planet Parades

Video of skywatching in Loreto, Mexico, on January 12 by Stephanie Vermillion. This timelapse has views of Venus, which is very bright and distinguishable, and Saturn just above it and harder to distinguish from stars. The video was taken the day before the full moon, so its bright glow is washing out most stars. 

The planets will be spread across the sky for most of 2025’s planet parades, meaning they will not be in a straight line, but appear from east to west. For best viewing, seek a wide-open vista with minimal obstructions to the horizon; a hilltop or large field would work well. Again, since the brightest planets can be seen even in cities, you don’t have to travel to see them.

If you want to take your observation to the next level, however, these five national parks offer stargazing events and wide-open viewing areas for enjoying the show. See more locations and tips on what to bring here.

SOUTH: Everglades National Park

Spot the planets from the highest viewing deck in Florida’s Everglades National Park. The park’s 70-foot Shark Valley Observation Tower overlooks up to 20 miles of the Everglades, with open 360-degree vistas. The tower stays open 24 hours a day.

The safest way to visit this gator-country attraction at night is via the park’s free ranger-led Stars Above, Glades Below Night Program, which runs January 13, 19, 21, and February 4, 5, 18, 19, 26, and 27. Entrance fee from $20

SOUTHWEST: Canyonlands National Park

Grand View Point in Canyonlands National Park made our list of best scenic viewpoints for a reason. This perch looks out upon a sweeping panorama of water-carved sandstone, and, as a Dark Sky-certified park, Canyonlands remains open 24 hours a day. The lookout lies at the southern end of Island in the Sky drive, just off the road on a paved path, with a second perch a one-mile trail away. Be careful in the winter; it can get icy. Entrance fee from $30 per private vehicle

WEST: Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is one of the best places in the country for stargazing and planet-watching, with lookouts open 24 hours like the panoramic Zabriskie Point promising sparkly nightscapes above. Add to your astronomical awe by attending one of several night-sky events: a free Night Sky Ranger Talk on January 18 or 25, a Star Party with telescopes on January 24, or the park’s Dark Sky Festival from February 21 to 23. Entrance fee from $15

EAST: New River Gorge National Park

In the eastern U.S., try the New River Gorge, which is also open around the clock. The NPS recommends a handful of stargazing spots, including the New River Gorge Bridge Overlook at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, or take the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk, among other options. The main overlook at the Grandview Visitor Center is especially promising in winter, with minimal overhead foliage and expansive vistas. The park is free to enter.

MIDWEST: Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota has all the conditions for picturesque planet-gazing: wide-open views, awestriking scenery, and minimal light pollution. The park, again open throughout the night, includes several starry-sky viewpoints. Try Riverbend Overlook to watch the constellations and planets float above the Missouri River, or hit up Painted Canyon Visitor Center to marvel at the shimmery nightscapes above the badlands. While you’re here, keep an eye to the north—when conditions align, this is a great national park to spot the northern lights. Entrance from $15

Stephanie Vermillion is Outside’s astrotourism columnist. Recent articles for Outside include this account of her three top nighttime adventures, an excerpt from her new book, 100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World’s Ultimate Adventures After Dark; the scoop on where to find the darkest skies in North America for aurora hunting and stargazing; and nine places to see the most dazzling northern lights in decades. She is based in Cleveland.

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