You'll likely have heard about – or even seen for yourself– the 'planetary alignment' visible in January and February 2025.
January and February 2025 have been great for observing the planets (except for Mercury) so far, as Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have all been visible in the night sky.
The good news is that, as we reach mid-February, Saturn, Venus, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars are all still visible after sunset.
They're just becoming a bit trickier to see.
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It's been a fantastic start to 2025, Venus appearing beside the crescent Moon on 3 January and Mars having a close encounter with the full Moon on 13 January.
Jupiter had a beautiful meeting with the Moon over the nights of 5–8 February, and on 9 February the Red Planet Mars was just below the gibbous Moon.
Let's take a look at what's in store for the planets as we approach late February 2025
- Discover our pick of the best telescopes for seeing planets
Planetary alignments and parades
Whether you call it a planetary alignment or a planetary parade, it's not uncommon for multiple planets to be visible in the night sky together.
And it's not uncommon for planets to be visible in a 'line' across the sky.
There is an imaginary line that the path of the Sun traces across the daytime sky, and this is known as the 'ecliptic'.
The ecliptic is due to the fact that Earth and all the other Solar System planets formed out of the same flat disc of gas and dust that once surrounded our infant Sun.
This means the planets in the Solar System all occupy roughly the same orbital plane – Earth included – and therefore all more or less follow the line of the ecliptic in the sky.
So, when multiple planets are visible in the sky, they'll located be roughly along this line. And this is one of the ways of telling the difference between a planet and a star.
It's also why so-called 'planetary alignments' are really an inevitability.
But that doesn't make them any less special to see for yourself.
Let's take a look at what this 'planetary alignment' will look like in mid-February 2025.
Planets in February 2025
Here's a run-down of what the planets are doing as we reach the middle of February.
Saturn is in Aquarius and sets around 7:25pm, so it’s getting very low and doesn't hang around in the sky long after sunset.
Venus and Neptune are in Pisces, with Neptune sitting below Venus. Neptune sets around 8:25pm and Venus sets around 9:20pm.
Venus still looks amazing in the early evening twilight. Get out your telescope and see if you can spot its beautiful crescent phase.
Uranus (mag +5.7) is between Taurus and Aries and sets around 1:40am, so it's still very much viable, but not easily visible with the naked eye.
You'll need good eyesight and clear, dark skies to be able to spot Uranus without binoculars or a telescope.
Jupiter is in Taurus and sets around 3:15am, making it still one of the best planets to see in February 2025.
Mars, too, is a beautiful planet. You can find it in Gemini forming a triangle with the stars Castor and Pollux.
Mercury, as has been the case thus far in 2025, is too close to the Sun to be observable.
An added bonus is 29 Amphitrite, a large asteroid that reaches opposition on Wednesday 12 February 2025 and is moving through the Sickle of Leo this month.
You'll need binoculars or a telescope to see it and you can locate it using our chart below.
The planets continue to be visible in the night sky in February 2025, but increasing daylight and loss of altitude will mean this 'planetary alignment' won't last.
In truth, the best time to see Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in February 2025 was at the very start of the month.
But the planets are still very much visible, and in particular Venus, Mars and Jupiter are still great naked-eye targets perfect for beginners and young stargazers.
Share your observing experiences and images with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
