If you're getting excited about the seven-planet alignment tonight, 28 February 2025, you may be wondering which of the planets in the parade will be easiest to see.
Undoubtedly, the best planets to see in the night sky currently are Mars, Jupiter and Venus.
Venus is by far the brightest, but is only visible in the early evening, whereas Mars and Jupiter are bright and high in the sky for much of the night.
They're easy to spot because they're close to the constellation Orion: Mars is above and to the left of it, Jupiter above and to the right.
Filippo Galati is an astrophotographer based in Siciliy, Italy, who this week captured an amazing image of Orion, Mars and Jupiter.
The image, as well as being stunning in and of itself, acts as a great pointer for beginner stargazers looking to spot these planets in the evening sky.
Filippo, whose Instagram handle is @filippo.galati, captured the image on 23 February 2025.
"The celestial vault is illuminated by thousands of sparkling stars, in the foreground the constellation of Orion with its nebular complex, in particular M42, the flame and the Barnard ring," says Filippo.
"The Rosette Nebula is still clearly visible, and among the brightest stars we have in addition Betelgeuse and Rigel (Orion), Sirius and Aldebaran.
"Finally, to complete, we can see two planets: Mars at the top with its typical red colour and on the right, the very bright giant Jupiter.
"The terrestrial landscape shows the typical agave plants of Costa di Carro, Sampieri-Sicily, with sharp profiles that stand out against the sky, creating a suggestive contrast between the Earth and the cosmos.
"I invite you to admire this celestial spectacle and lose yourself in the infinity of the Universe."
Image details
Camera: Sony ILCE-7M3 camera
Lens: Sony 20mm FE f/1.8 lens
Mount: StarAdventurer
Sky: 51x80s f/3.2 ISO 800
Landscape: 60s f/5 ISO 1000
Software: Sequator + Adobe Photoshop
If you're an astrophotographer, send us your images by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
