Witness the Spectacular Dance of 6 Planets on January 21!

Gazing at the planets is among the most exhilarating methods to experience the wonders of the night sky—and there’s no superior way to observe them than during a planetary alignment. This event occurs when several planets line up next to one another.

On January 21, six planets—Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—will be visible concurrently in the sky, and their arrangement will be easily observable from nearly all regions of the world. However, if you happen to miss the opportunity to enjoy the night sky on January 21, don’t fret: There is adequate time to witness this celestial display.

The alignment will be observable for roughly a month, until mid to late February. The locations of the planets will, nonetheless, change during this period, so their arrangements on January 21 will differ from their placements in late February.

While conjunctions of two planets are relatively common, alignments involving five or more are rather unusual. This year, there will be two additional planetary alignments featuring five or more planets, but after that, the next occurrence of such an alignment won’t occur until 2040.

Here’s everything you should understand to witness this planetary alignment.

Viewing Instructions

For an optimal view, allow 20 to 30 minutes for your vision to acclimate to the darkness. It’s advisable to observe this planetary alignment after sunset and from a site far removed from artificial lighting, which can obscure celestial objects in the night sky.

Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Venus will form an arc stretching from east to west. Four of these planets are discernible with the naked eye; however, two of them—Uranus and Neptune—necessitate a good pair of high-powered binoculars or a backyard telescope. Below, you will find instructions on exactly where in the night sky to search for each planet on the 21st, but if you’re unsure how to locate them, applications like Stellarium can assist you in easily finding the planets and other celestial bodies.

Timing for Viewing

The prime time to view the planets is shortly after sunset, as three of them—Venus, Saturn, and Neptune—set between approximately 9 and 10:30 pm local time. Be aware that the precise timing of each planet’s rise and set will fluctuate slightly based on your position on Earth; utilizing a site like Time and Date can help you find the exact times for your location.

If possible, it’s wiser to commence skywatching earlier in the evening, as Venus, Saturn, and Neptune will descend closer to the horizon before setting, rendering them increasingly challenging to observe as the night progresses.

Mars

On January 21, Mars will be positioned in the east, directly beneath the constellation Gemini. Having just reached opposition—indicating the Earth is positioned directly between it and the sun—this Red Planet will appear at its largest and most luminous, visible throughout the entire night.

Mars is easily seen with the naked eye. However, using a backyard telescope will enable you to observe its northern polar ice cap, spanning over 600 miles, and the Vallis Marineris, the most extensive canyon in the solar system, which runs along the equator of Mars and exceeds 1,800 miles in length.

Jupiter

Jupiter will be situated to the west of Mars, within the constellation Taurus. This giant planet is also easily observable with the naked eye. Yet, a pair of high-powered binoculars will allow you to see Jupiter’s moons and possibly its cloud bands.

A backyard telescope will provide an even more detailed view of this massive planet. Seek out Jupiter’s cloud bands along with its remarkable Red Spot, a storm system that is over 10,000 miles wide—1.3 times the width of Earth. The Red Spot isn’t consistently visible from Earth, as Jupiter’s rotation period lasts about 10 hours, meaning the storm spends a significant portion of the time facing away from Earth on many nights. You can utilize this calculator from Sky & Telescope to determine when it might be observable from your area.

Jupiter will be visible for much of the night: It rises in the mid to late afternoon on January 21 and sets between approximately 3 and 5 am on January 22, depending on your precise location.

Uranus

On the 21st, Uranus will be situated about 50 degrees to the west of Jupiter and slightly lower in the sky. Uranus will appear to be close to the Pleiades, a brilliant star cluster that is visible with the naked eye.

To see Uranus, you will require a pair of high-powered binoculars or a backyard telescope, as it is too dim to be seen easily without equipment. Through such tools, Uranus resembles a star with a subtle blue hue. Though Uranus possesses rings, they are too faint to observe, even with viewing equipment. However, if you own a powerful backyard telescope, you might be able to glimpse its moons.