FOUR PLANETS ARE SHINING VERY BRIGHTLY IN THE NIGHT SKY DURING JANUARY 2025
Even though 2025 is just getting started, stargazers worldwide are already witnessing some incredibly fascinating astronomical events. To begin with, there is an incredible event taking place that is readily visible to the unaided eye. Four planets will shine brilliantly in the night sky throughout January, creating a "planet parade" that you won't want to miss.
According to NASA, the first few hours after dark will see Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars shining brightly in the sky. Mars will be located to the east, Jupiter will be above them, and Venus and Saturn will be visible in the southwest. Uranus and Neptune are two additional planets that can be seen with a telescope.
The ecliptic, the plane in which all planets orbit the Sun, is the long "line" in the sky that all planets always appear on. Consequently, it also explains why planets appear to be so near to one another in the night sky. Therefore, this celestial event isn't particularly noteworthy because of the planet's alignment. NASA claims that seeing four or five bright planets at once—something that doesn't happen every year—is the true treat.
Seeing Venus and Saturn come together is one of the most unique aspects of this event, which we can again attribute to the ecliptic and our position in the solar system. Despite being millions of miles apart in space, these two planets will only be a finger's breadth apart in the sky. Their closest encounter will occur on January 17 and 18, after which they will drift apart once more.
An extra-bright Mars will complete the exciting celestial display. The Red Planet will appear larger than usual as it approaches opposition, which is when it will be directly across from Earth and form a straight line. This occurs once every two years, and although NASA says it won't be one of the most thrilling oppositions, Mars will still be closer than usual, providing a fantastic chance to observe our neighbour. If you miss the "planet parade" that takes place after sunset, you can at least catch a glimpse of it as it will be the only planet visible on January mornings.