“Celestial Dance: Witness the Stunning Venus-Saturn Conjunction!”

There’s a buzz on social platforms about an exciting planetary alignment anticipated this month — multiple dates are being mentioned. It is believed that as many as six planets will appear in a line and be visible in the night sky.

Sadly, this astronomical spectacle might turn out to be a cosmic disappointment if you aren’t aware of what you will truly observe when you gaze at the stars.

Although the planets won’t perfectly align in the sky — at least from our viewpoint — they will present a magnificent view at the end of January. Here’s what you need to know.

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Contrary to what some articles imply, the forthcoming planetary alignment isn’t particularly extraordinary. The planets will seem to line up — but no more than is typically the case.

The planets within our solar system orbit the sun nearly in the same flat plane as Earth, as stated by EarthSky.org, known as the ecliptic. The celestial entities nearby, including the sun, moon, and planets, appear to traverse the sky from east to west along that same imaginary pathway each day and night.

From the Earth’s vantage point, the planets always seem to align somewhere along that trajectory, which is consistently followed by the sun and moon, even if not in a perfectly straight manner.

However, many of them will be visible simultaneously this month.

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Sky filled with planets in January

In January 2025, six planets will grace the night sky, four of which can be seen without assistance. They will not form a straight line; two will reside on one side of the sky, while the others will be situated on the opposite side.

During the initial hours after sunset throughout the month, you will be able to catch sight of Venus and Saturn in the southwest, Jupiter directly overhead, and Mars to the east, per NASA. If you possess a telescope and a mobile application to aid in locating them, Uranus and Neptune can also be seen.

There is nothing significant set for January 25, although Venus and Saturn will be drawing nearer throughout January, a phenomenon known as a “conjunction.” On the evenings of January 17 and 18, they will seem to be just a couple of finger-widths apart, according to NASA. Naturally, they will still be hundreds of millions of miles away, but they will appear very close to one another.

How to observe Venus-Saturn conjunction

To observe Venus and Saturn appear to approach one another in the night sky, adhere to these instructions on the…
“`nights of Jan. 17 and 18:

• Gaze towards the southwest approximately an hour after dusk, around 6:45 p.m. CT.
• Venus will be the most luminous object in the sky this evening, aside from the moon.
• To Venus’s left, brighter than the stars yet not quite as brilliant as Venus, you’ll notice Saturn.
• The pair of planets will be visible to the unaided eye for nearly three and a half hours.

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Here are some additional celestial occurrences taking place this year, as stated by Smithsonian Magazine:

• Jan. 15-16: Mars reached opposition, a moment of optimal viewing where Mars, Earth, and the Sun align, illuminating the side of Mars facing Earth entirely by the Sun.
• Feb. 28: All seven planets will seem to line up in the sky in an event known as a “planetary parade.”
• March 14: A total lunar eclipse will envelop the full moon in a deep red hue as it traverses Earth’s shadow. Totality will endure for just over an hour. March’s full moon will also be a micromoon, appearing smaller and dimmer than usual as it reaches the furthest point in its orbit from Earth.
• March 29: In a partial solar eclipse, the moon will partially obscure the Sun. Canada will witness some of the finest views, with up to 93% coverage of the Sun.
• April 21-22: The annual Lyrid meteor shower will reach its peak, showcasing 10 to 15 meteors each hour.
• Aug. 12-13: Another yearly event, the Perseid meteor shower will peak. Typically offering sightings of 100 meteors or more per hour, the 2025 shower occurs shortly after the full moon and may hinder visibility of the fainter meteors.
• Sept. 21: Saturn will attain opposition, providing its most spectacular and brightest viewing of the year. The ringed planet will align with Earth and the Sun, and the side of Saturn facing Earth will be fully illuminated by the Sun.
• Oct. 8: Although the annual Draconid meteor shower is generally a smaller event with a maximum of 10 meteors per hour, experts forecast that 2025 could experience increased activity accompanied by a meteor outburst.
• Oct. 22: The annual Orionid meteor shower spans a longer duration of nearly two months. Its peak will reveal 10 to 20 meteors per hour, with the coinciding new moon leading to dark skies and ideal viewing conditions.
• Nov. 5: The closest supermoon of the year will grace the sky, positioned just 221,965 miles from Earth.
• Dec. 13: The peak viewing of the annual Geminid meteor shower will present a staggering 120 meteors per hour. Although a waning crescent moon might slightly diminish meteor visibility, viewing is anticipated to be superior compared to last year — which was nearly entirely aligned with a full moon.