It is not uncommon on a clear summer night to be able to see a couple of bright spots in the sky and recognize that they could be planets. It is however, more rare for seven planets to align. Just after sunset about February 28th, 2025, seven planets are said to create the great planetary alignment. This is the median date, so depending on where you are around the world, the prime viewing days will vary. A phenomenon like this is predicted to not happen again until 2028. 

The reason for this rare alignment is because the planets all orbit the sun on a flat plane called the ecliptic. NASA defines the ecliptic as: “the imaginary plane containing the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The planetary bodies of our solar system all tend to lie near this plane, since they were formed from the Sun’s spinning, flattened, protoplanetary disk.”

Some of the planets are higher than others on the ecliptic, but they are all more or less on the same level. Every once in a while, the planets will align in their orbits and be on the same side of the sun at the same time. 

The best time to view the planets will be right after sunset. The seven planets include Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars. However, only five planets: Saturn, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, will be easily visible to the naked eye. Planets Uranus and Neptune will be visible with a telescope or binoculars because they are farther away from Earth.

Coincidentally, the alignment of these planets coincides with the new moon, so there will be no light from the moon preventing the planets from being seen by viewers. Getting away from city lights will also help viewers see this phenomenon.