Astronomical Event: Seven Planets to Align in a Rare Formation in January and February 2025

Islamabad:Astronomers have announced that a rare and extraordinary celestial event is set to take place in January and February 2025, as seven planets in our solar system will align in a straight line and be clearly visible in the sky. On January 21 and February 28, 2025, skywatchers will have the unique opportunity to witness this spectacular sight.

According to astronomers, on the evening of February 28, 2025, the seven planets—Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars—will appear in a clear, straight line across the sky. This rare alignment will be visible in the night sky, providing a stunning spectacle.

However, on January 21, 2025, a similar but slightly less complete alignment will occur. On this date, six planets—Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn—will align, but Mercury will not be part of the formation.

Astronomers explain that while it is not unusual for planets to be on the same side of the Sun at the same time, it is extremely rare for all the planets to align in such a straight and clear formation. The alignment of three to eight planets in a row can happen, but five or six planets aligned together is considered a major event, with five-planet formations being more prominent than six-planet ones.

This alignment will not be a common occurrence in the solar system, as it is not frequently seen in our cosmic maps. However, due to the planets’ orbits around the Sun, they occasionally align in this extraordinary manner.

The planets orbit the Sun in a relatively smooth plane known as the ecliptic. While some of their orbits are slightly tilted above or below this plane, most planets, like Earth and others, follow this plane. Occasionally, all the planets fall on the same side of the Sun as they move in their respective orbits, allowing us to see them at the same time in the sky.

For those interested in viewing this celestial phenomenon, the alignment will be visible from various locations depending on where you are on Earth. There are tools available online to track the precise timing and locations of the planets.

One such tool is Stellarium, a web-based tool that shows the positions of the planets in real-time. The SkyTonight mobile app, available for free, can help you locate the planets using your phone’s hardware, offering an interactive sky map that shows the real-time positions of planets and stars.

For the best experience, a telescope will be necessary to view the planets in their full glory. If you haven’t witnessed this rare alignment before, now is the time to start planning!