Star-gazers and space-lovers, gather round – you’re going to want to hear this. In what could be one of the greatest planetary displays we’ve seen in years; six planets will be gracing the night sky at the very same time next week in a truly spectacular ‘planet parade’.
Although not an official astrological term, a planet parade refers to the event in which four or more planets appear to line up in the night sky at the same time. Whilst planets aligning isn’t in itself a wildly rare event, being able to feast your eyes on six planets at the exact same time is a pretty remarkable occurrence.
Which planets will be visible?
In the first few hours after sunset on January 21, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will all be easily visible to the naked eye. Venus and Saturn will appear in the southwest direction, whilst Jupiter will be shining overhead, and Mars on the eastern horizon. If you happen to have a decent pair of binoculars or a telescope kicking about, you’re in luck, because Uranus and Neptune will be joining the parade, too – but won’t be visible to the naked eye. These six planets will first be aligning on January 21but are set to stay that way for a few weeks. So, hopefully you’ll have ample opportunity to catch a glimpse of them.
How can I see the planet parade from London?
The best chance you’ll have to see the planet parade will be from sunset to around 9pm on January 21. Head to an area with an open view of the sky, away from obstructions and artificial lighting, look up towards the sky, and hope the best, really (again, not an official scientific term). If you see a bright dot in the sky and are unsure as to whether it’s a planet or a star; a good way to tell them apart is that stars twinkle and planets don’t. Planets are also likely to be brighter and a slightly different colour. For a bit of extra help, you can download a stargazing app which will help you differentiate between planets and stars.
