28-02-2025
Planet parade to dance across the sky Friday night: How to see it
Look up in Michigan's night sky Friday night to catch a rare seven-planet parade.
The planets will appear to line up in the sky as they orbit the sun, known as a planetary alignment or planet parade, according to NASA.
"While they aren't once-in-a-lifetime events, planetary parades afford an uncommon opportunity to look up and appreciate our place in our solar system," public engagement specialist Preston Dyches wrote for NASA, "with diverse worlds arrayed across the sky before our very eyes."
Here's what to know.
The seven-planet alignment will take place Friday just after sunset. Planet parades are observable during twilight, so a bright sky does not obscure the view.
Seven planets in our solar system — Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Mercury and Neptune — will align in the night sky, according to Science Alert. The planets will appear in a line or arc from east to west, NASA said.
"Astronomical events like the planetary alignment provide people the opportunity to think more deeply about the universe around them. Fueling this curiosity directly leads to a better understanding of scientific concepts," said Joey Rodriguez, assistant professor in the physics and astronomy department at Michigan State University, in a statement.
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be easily visible in the night sky, according to Star Walk. Uranus and Neptune will also be around, but they won't be appearing as bright and will require a telescope to see, according to NASA.
Mars will appear above the southern horizon in the Gemini constellation. Jupiter will appear in the Taurus constellation, Uranus in the Aries constellation, Venus and Neptune in the Pisces constellation, and Mercury and Saturn in the Aquarius constellation, Star Walk said.
The four-planet lineup that began in January concludes this month as Saturn sinks increasingly lower in the sky each night after sunset, according to NASA. While Mercury will briefly join Saturn in the post-sunset glow, both planets will be too low and faint for most observers to spot.
For the best viewing chances, head to an open area away from urban light pollution, experts advise. Michigan is home to six dark sky state parks, three international dark sky parks and an international dark sky sanctuary.
The Alpena area has three Dark Sky Preserves: Rockport State Recreation Area, Thompson's Harbor State Park and Negwegon State Park.
In Mackinaw City, Headlands International Dark Sky Park, 15675 Headlands Road.
In Empire, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 9922 Front St.
In Munising, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
In Paradise, the Great Lakes Museum and Whitefish Point Light Station, 18335 N. Whitefish Point Road, and Tahquamenon Falls State Park at 41382 W. M-123.
In Port Austin, Port Crescent State Park, 1775 Port Austin Road.
In Clayton, Lake Hudson Recreation Area, 5505 Morey Highway.
In Carp Lake, Wilderness State Park, 903 Wilderness Park Drive.
Keweenaw Dark Sky Park in Keweenaw County and Dr. T.K. Lawless Park in Cass County are international spots. And, finally, the Beaver Island State Wildlife Research Area is an international sanctuary.
Keep an eye on the weather forecast ahead of the event, as a clear night sky will be optimal for taking in the rare alignment.
Stargazers have one more opportunity in 2025 to catch a multi-planet lineup, according to NASA, when four planets become visible before sunrise in late August.
USA TODAY and the Lansing State Journal contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: When is the planet parade 2025? How to see all 7 planets
