Planetary Parade 2025: When and where to watch this celestial event online for free in India

A rare and significant phenomenon is happening in space tonight (January 25), as six planets orbiting the Sun will align in a planetary parade.

What is a planetary parade?

A planetary parade takes place when multiple planets align along the same region of the sky, visible from Earth.

This year, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn and Venus will align in a graceful celestial arc, providing a breathtaking view.

This alignment is a visual phenomenon and is created by the relative positions of the planets in their orbits around the Sun.

“They’re not in a straight line, but they’re pretty close together on one side of the sun,” said Hannah Sparkes, planetarium supervisor at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Florida.

How to watch the planetary parade 2025?

To offer the public an opportunity to witness this rare event, several programmes have been planned across the world.

On January 25, at 12:30 pm ET (1730 GMT) which is 11:00 pm IST, astrophysicist Gianluca Masi from the Virtual Telescope Project will host a live stream showing the telescopic view of all six planets in alignment.

Italy’s Virtual Telescope Project is also offering a free webcast.

This phenomenon is significant for the educational and scientific value. It offers a unique opportunity to observe and learn about planetary motion, the ecliptic plane, and the vastness of our solar system.

The astronomical linkup is fairly common and can happen at least every year depending on the number of planets.

A similar parade took place last June, but only two planets could be seen without any special equipment.

Planetary parade 2025 visibility

While the planets can be seen with the naked eye, a pair of binoculars or a small telescope can enhance the viewing experience, especially for details like Jupiter's moons or Saturn's rings.

Looking towards the western horizon after sunset, you can view Mercury and Venus, while Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible higher in the night sky.

During this latest spectacle, Mars shines especially bright because it's located directly opposite the sun. And on Saturday night, sky-gazers will see Venus and Saturn snuggle up extra close — just two degrees apart.

Venus and Saturn will glow in the southwestern sky, with Jupiter in the southern sky and Mars in the southeast or east.

The planets will shine brighter than the stars, and Mars will look like a reddish-orange dot.

People can use mobile astronomy apps to identify the planets and their positions.