7 planets will be aligned Friday. View the February 2025 planetary alignment from Texas
A planetary alignment, or a "planet parade," will grace our night sky just after dusk, according to SkyatNightMagazine. You can expect to see seven planets align Friday when Mercury joins Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus and Saturn.
But not all of them will be easy to see, especially with the naked eye. You'll need a good pair of high-powered binoculars or a telescope to see Uranus and Neptune.
Where and when should Texans look to the sky to see the planets align? Here's what to know.
Full moon calendar: When every full moon shines in 2025 in Texas
Regardless of how you're viewing them, the hardest planets to see will be Saturn and Neptune because they are close to the horizon and the sun, according to StarWalk. If you can see them, they'll be toward the west just after the sun sets. The time will vary based on your location. Mercury also should be visible in the western part of the sky just after sunset.
You'll have the best chance of viewing the alignment if you can find a location free of light pollution and a view of the horizon free of obstructions like trees or tall buildings.
Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.
Here are the times for planet visibility from Austin on Friday, Feb. 28, as listed by Time and Date:
Planet
Rise
Set
Meridian
Visibility
Mercury
Friday 7:41 a.m.
Friday 7:40 p.m.
Friday 1:40 p.m.
slightly difficult to see
Venus
Friday 7:58 a.m.
Friday 8:50 p.m.
Friday 2:24 p.m.
fairly good visibility
Mars
Friday 2:03 p.m.
Saturday 4:18 a.m.
Friday 9:10 a.m.
perfect visibility
Jupiter
Friday 11:41 a.m.
Saturday 1:34 a.m.
Friday 6:38 p.m.
fairly good visibility
Saturn
Friday 7:35 a.m.
Friday 7:13 p.m.
Friday 1:24 p.m.
very difficult to see
Uranus
Friday 10:33 a.m.
Saturday 12:06 a.m.
Friday 5:20 p.m.
difficult to see
Neptune
Friday 7:55 a.m.
Friday 7:51 p.m.
Friday 1:53 p.m.
extremely difficult to see
It's not especially remarkable for a few planets to line up in the sky, but when we see four or five brilliant planets at once, it's less common, according to NASA.
The planets orbit the sun continuously in the solar system, so at times, they slowly catch up to one another. Because they travel along the same path, or ecliptic, as they pass Earth, it appears they are aligned. The alignment formation, however, is short-lived because planets move at different speeds.
With eight planets in our solar system, which includes Earth, they all have some very interesting traits. Here's a quick look at the planets aligning this month:
According to Starwalk, skywatchers can look forward to more planetary alignments in 2025-2026:
April 17 (four planets): Neptune, Mercury, Saturn and Venus
Aug. 10 (six planets): Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn
Feb. 28, 2026 (six planets): Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter
Here are some of the other celestial phenomena happening this year, according to Smithsonian Magazine:
March 14: A total lunar eclipse will cast a deep red color over the full moon as it passes through Earth's shadow. Totality will last for just over one hour. March's full moon will also be a micromoon, appearing smaller and dimmer than usual as it reaches the point in its orbit farthest from Earth.
March 29: In a partial solar eclipse, the moon will partly block the Sun. Canada will get some of the best views, with up to 93% coverage of the Sun.
April 21-22: The annual Lyrid meteor shower will peak, offering views of 10 to 15 meteors per hour.
Aug. 12-13: Another annual phenomenon, the Perseid meteor shower will peak. Though it typically offers views of 100 meteors or more per hour, 2025's shower occurs days after the full moon and will likely affect visibility of the fainter meteors.
Sept. 21: Saturn will reach opposition, making its viewing the biggest and brightest of the year. The ringed planet will align with Earth and the Sun, and the side of Saturn facing Earth will be completely illuminated by the Sun.
Oct. 8: Though the annual Draconid meteor shower tends to be a relatively smaller one, with a maximum of 10 meteors per hour, experts predict 2025 could see heightened activity with a meteor outburst.
Oct. 22: The annual Orionid meteor shower has a longer duration of nearly two months. Its peak will see 10 to 20 meteors per hour, with the coinciding new moon producing dark skies and optimal viewing conditions.
Nov. 5: The closest supermoon of the year will appear in the sky, only 221,965 miles from Earth.
— USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: February 2025 planetary alignment: How to view from Texas
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