Rare Planetary Alignment Visible Over Texas Starting Friday

SAN ANGELO, TX — Sky watchers across Texas will have the chance to observe a rare celestial event starting Friday as six planets — Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Neptune, and Uranus — align in the night sky.

The "planetary parade" will be visible throughout January and into February.

This alignment includes the four brightest planets visible to the naked eye — Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars — while Neptune and Uranus will require a telescope for optimal viewing. The best time to observe the event is approximately an hour after sunset by scanning the southern horizon from east to west.

According to the University of Texas McDonald Observatory, Jupiter and Venus will appear the brightest. Mars may be harder to distinguish due to its reddish hue, and a medium-sized telescope is recommended to catch a glimpse of Neptune and Uranus. For Jupiter, binoculars might reveal its moons.

While planetary alignments occur yearly, seeing six planets together in one night sky is uncommon.

NASA describes the alignment along the ecliptic — the path the planets orbit around the Sun — as a rare and prolonged occurrence, lasting over a month. A shift will occur in late February when Mercury replaces Saturn in the visible array.

Adding to the event’s uniqueness are several conjunctions, including a Mars occultation, where the Moon blocks Mars from view, and “planetary kisses” between Venus and Neptune on Feb. 1.

Other major celestial events in 2025 include a total lunar eclipse, or “blood moon,” on March 14, and Saturn’s rings appearing edge-on in November, rendering them almost invisible — a phenomenon that happens every 15 years.

For a clear view of the planetary parade, astronomers recommend finding a location away from city lights with an unobstructed view of the horizon.