As soon as the sun sets, step outside and look up to witness a rare celestial event: full planetary alignment. Between Feb. 23 and Feb. 28, 2025, all seven planets will align in the night sky. This alignment will be visible for less than a week before Saturn moves out of view, ending the complete formation. How to see the planetary alignment If you want to check sky conditions before heading out, use our interactive satellite map to see if clouds may impact your view. Planets in alignment: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune Five planets will be visible with the naked eye. Two planets will require a telescope or high-powered binoculars. Best viewing times The peak viewing period is expected to be on Monday, Feb. 24, and Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (NOTE: Planets will appear as bright stars in the sky. You will not see definition unless viewed through a telescope.) Which planets will be visible? Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune How bright will the planets be? Each planet varies in brightness, measured in magnitude. The lower (or more negative) the magnitude, the brighter the planet appears to the naked eye. For reference, the sun has an apparent magnitude of -26.7 (too bright to look at directly), while the dimmest object the human eye can detect under ideal conditions is around +6. Planetary brightness from brightest to dimmest: Venus: -4.8 (brightest) Jupiter: -2.3 Mercury: -1.2 Mars: +0.4 Saturn: +1.1 Uranus: +5.8 (requires binoculars) Neptune: +7.8 (requires a telescope) Each step in magnitude represents a 2.5x change in brightness. Will the moon affect visibility? Good news! The moon will not interfere with the alignment. It will be below the horizon during the best viewing window, ensuring a darker sky for better visibility. The Snow Moon occurred earlier in the month on Feb. 11 and 12. When to look up Timing is crucial. The planets will only be visible for about 90 minutes after sunset before some begin to fade from view. Generally, the best time to look up is between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time across the United States. Mercury and Saturn will disappear first. As the night progresses, more planets will fade. Mars will be the last planet visible. What direction to look Face south, and you’ll see: Lower planets (Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter) positioned toward the right/west. Higher planets (Mars and Saturn) arcing left/east. What will the sky look like? We have two illustrations to help visualize the planetary alignment: 1. An annotated night sky map showing the planets' positions. Circled planets indicate those that are not visible without equipment. 2. A simulation of the sky during the alignment. The planets align along the ecliptic, appearing as an arc in the sky. The arc will be higher the closer you are to the equator. The arc will be lower the farther north you are. Will the planets form a straight line? No. From our viewpoint on Earth, the planets will form an arc, not a straight line. This is due to the ecliptic plane, the path along which the planets orbit the sun. What happens after February? The seven-planet alignment ends after Feb. 28 as Saturn moves out of view. Starting in March 2025, only a six-planet alignment will remain visible. Final thoughts This is a rare opportunity to witness a stunning planetary display. Be sure to head outside on a clear evening, and look toward the southern sky to catch all seven planets before they disappear.