Planetary Parade 2025: 7 Planets to Align in January – Will It Be Visible from India?

A rare celestial event known as the Planetary Parade is set to occur twice in 2025, on January 21 and February 28. During this alignment, seven planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus will line up, creating a rare phenomenon that will be visible worldwide.

The alignment happens when the planets appear to form a straight line from Earth’s perspective due to their positions along the ecliptic plane. Such events are rare, as it is uncommon for six or seven planets to align together. A similar alignment was observed in April last year.
"While it's true that they [planets] will appear more or less along a line across the sky, that's what planets always do. That line is called the ecliptic, and it represents the plane of the solar system in which the planets orbit around the Sun," NASA explains.

"This is, incidentally, why we sometimes observe planets appearing to approach closely to each other on the sky, as we view them along a line while they careen around the cosmic racetrack."

Will It Be Visible in India?

Yes, the Planetary Parade of six planets—Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus—will be visible from India on January 21, 2025. Mercury will join the alignment, making it a rare seven-planet parade. The phenomenon will be observable for about four weeks, offering ample time for stargazers to witness it.

Planets such as Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn can be seen with the naked eye, while Neptune and Uranus require a telescope for observation. Mercury, however, may prove to be the most challenging to spot without optical aid.

Best Time to Watch in India

The ideal time to view the Planetary Parade in India will be after sunset, around 8:30 PM on January 21. However, visibility will depend on factors like local weather conditions and light pollution in your area. The best place to witness the parade of planets is far from cities in a rural area or hills.