A so-called RARE “planetary alignment” expected to be visible in late January and early February 2025, has been making waves in the news and on social media. Headlines like “A Rare View of Six Planets Aligning” (Euronews) or “…almost All Planets Aligned in the Night Sky” (The Guardian) promise a celestial spectacle that seems too good to be true. What’s the deal here? Let’s dive in to uncover the truth—and let me tell you why it is still worth heading outside to look at the night sky this winter.
Are the Planets Truly Aligning?
Let’s start with the good news: there are a lot of planets visible in the night sky this month. However, they’re not in a perfect straight line or clustered closely together, as some clickbait titles might want you to believe. What we’re witnessing isn’t a planetary alignment but rather a chance to see multiple planets spread across the night sky—still a treat for stargazers!
Social media has pointed to January 25th as the night to watch, but in reality, these planets have been shining bright for a while now and most planets will remain visible well beyond January. So, where exactly can you spot all these wonders and what can you expect? Let me show you some videos I captured last night from my rooftop in the Netherlands in the final week of January, under a partly cloudy and light-polluted sky. If I can spot the planets under these conditions, so can you! Here we go.
What You’ll See After Sunset
After sunet, look towards the southwest where you’ll see Venus, the unmistakable “evening star” shining brightly in the evening sky. Below it, after looking carefully, I found Saturn as a dim, yellowish dot. It’s a simple but beautiful pair to kick off your planetary hunt. You need a large telescope to spot Saturn, here’s a picture I took with my telescope in september when Saturn was much closer to Earth and higher in the night sky.
Next, shift your gaze a bit higher towards the south, and you’ll easily encounter Jupiter shining brightly in the night sky. Jupiter rivals Venus in brightness. If you zoom in on Jupiter with a modest telescope or even a good camera, you can catch up to four of its Galilean moons as tiny bright dots that orbit the gas giant. Here are my camera (wide, close-up) and telescope views of Jupiter.
And here’s a bonus: If you look carefully towards the right of Jupiter, you’ll find the iconic star cluster known as the Pleiades, or the Seven Sisters. This star cluster is visible with the naked eye as a tiny glittering group of stars. I captured the Pleiades (M45) with my telescope, and here’s what they look like after taking several hours of photos. M45 is a bright open star cluster, and home to hot, young blue stars, surrounded by a faint reflection nebula.
Explore Orion and Mars
Towards the left of Jupiter in the southeastern sky, I fund the famous constellation Orion. Orion is a treasure trove of celestial wonders, such as the fiery red supergiant Betelgeuse in Orion’s shoulder. Below the three bright stars in the middle known as orions belt, you’ll find Orion’s Sword, home to the famous Orion Nebula (M42). A dazzling stellar nursery visible with then naked eye, where new stars are being born. This nebula is a favorite among astrophotographers, here’s a close-up image.
Finally, I spotted Mars rising in the southeastern evening sky. The Red Planet, with its distinct rusty glow, is clearly visible as it is still close to Earth in the next month. While it appears as a small dot to the naked eye, a telescope with a long focal length can reveal surface details like polar ice caps and dusty plains. If you’re interested in planetary imaging with a large telescope, check out my planetary course and my blog on telescopes are great for viewing and imaging the planets.
Get Ready to Explore the Night Sky!
Is this alignment a once-in-a-lifetime event? Not exactly, but it’s still a great chance to experience a winter night sky filled with planets, star clusters, and beautiful winter constellations. Even in light-polluted cities, you can spot the brightest objects without any special gear. To make it easier, download a free app like Stellarium—it’ll show you where to find Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and more. So, grab a warm jacket, and head outside to enjoy the night sky! Clear skies!
@Wido Oerlemans – Astrophotographer 🙂