'Rarest astronomical events': IMD teases for planetary parade on January 25

If you're active on social media, you may have come across posts regarding an upcoming planetary alignment on January 25, 2025. A stunning display is anticipated in the night sky as Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune align. Referred to as a planetary parade or alignment, this celestial event occurs when multiple planets in our solar system appear to create a straight line as viewed from Earth. 

Taking to social media platform X, the India Meteorological Department said it would be one of the rarest events when in January to February 2025, we can see the planets Jupiter and Mars on eastern sky, Saturn and Venus in Western sky through naked eyes, and Uranus and Neptune through telescope.  

"As per the configuration of the planetary system and different revolution periods of planets, it is rare to have all planets in a single frame of the sky. In January to February 2025 we can see the planets Jupiter and Mars on eastern sky, Saturn and Venus in Western sky through naked eyes, and Uranus and Neptune through telescope. Today the configuration will be such that all the planets will appear to align in line on the sky. This is one of the rarest astronomical events," IMD said in its post. 

NASA has said the phenomenon will start from January 21 and will reach its peak around January 29, and will continue to be visible until mid-February.

While all eight major planets in the Solar System orbit the Sun within the same plane, each does so at varying speeds. For instance, Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, completes one orbit in 88 days, constituting a year for the planet. Conversely, Neptune takes an astonishing 60,190 days to complete one revolution around the Sun.

Periodically, the differing velocities of the planets result in them aligning on the same side of the Sun, a phenomenon visible from Earth. In the upcoming event in February, it is worth noting that while the seven planets may not align precisely, they will be observable in an arc across the sky due to their shared orbital plane in the Solar System.