January Skies: A Guide to Witnessing the Spectacular Planetary Alignment in Washington State

Gaze upward into the heavens above Washington state this month on a clear evening, and you might witness a rare cosmic event in the sky.

In January 2025, a significant planetary alignment featuring four planets – Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars – will be visible to the unaided eye, as reported by NASA. Additionally, the Quadrantid meteor shower will also be observable, peaking on Wednesday, January 3.

The four planets will be most clearly seen together starting from January 10, as indicated by the Farmers’ Almanac. According to Forbes, the evening of January 21 will provide the finest view of them.

The previous occurrence of multiple planets aligning in a comparable formation was in June 2024, when Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune aligned across the celestial sphere.

Here’s what you need to know about the extraordinary celestial event taking place this month.

Is it possible to observe the planetary alignment from WA?

The celestial bodies of the solar system all orbit within the same plane, according to National Geographic. Thus, when a number of planets are positioned on the same side of the sun as Earth, it appears that they are situated closely together. In reality, the planets are separated by millions of miles.

At times, several planets may be on the same side of the sun as Earth but not aligned due to their orbital configurations. Witnessing four planets simultaneously in the night sky is quite an uncommon phenomenon, as noted by NASA, which has referred to it as a “planetary parade.”

The “planetary parade” will be best observed after sunset beginning January 10, as per the Farmers’ Almanac. The four planets should be visible to the naked eye: Venus and Saturn will be found in the southwest, Jupiter will be overhead, and Mars will appear in the east. Uranus and Neptune will also take part in the conjunction, but a telescope will be required for viewing, according to NASA.

Uranus is extremely distant – averaging 1.8 billion miles away, as stated by NASA – so unless you’re in a completely dark area like Alder Lake Park, roughly an hour south of Tacoma, a magnification device will be necessary.

A light pollution map may help you locate regions with reduced artificial lighting, which is preferable for stargazing. The Clear Sky Charts website provides information on locations in Washington where the sky is free from obstructions such as trees, and it features a gradient tool to illustrate light pollution, helping you identify the most unobstructed viewing spots with minimal light interference.

What is the expected weather in WA for January?

While it is too early for the National Weather Service in Seattle to predict the weather on January 10, it is anticipated that most of western Washington will experience cloudy conditions during this season, as per NWS meteorologist Samantha Borth.

“We have some systems moving in throughout next week, which is prior to the specified timeframe,” Borth explained. “We might experience some clearing, but it’s difficult to ascertain for January 10 at this point.”